Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Chemistry (not Biochemistry)
Session: 2
Room: Virginia A
Alexis Morgan - Alabama State University
Co-Author(s): DeEtta Mills, Florida International University; Gulnaz Javan, Alabama State University
The ability to quantify the types of microorganisms within a human thanatomicrobiome (“thanatos-” Greek for death) is fundamental to the understanding of molecular functions after a human dies. Prior to the advent of advanced forensic molecular techniques, the study of microbial communities has been difficult to investigate due their different spatial and temporal scales. However, with the expanded use of high-throughput DNA sequencing, combined with analytical bioinformatic tools, these limitations are rapidly decreasing. To date, the “gold standard” of DNA analytical approaches entails a complex process of metagenomic sequencing that are relatively costly and time- consuming to perform. One effective approach used to screen microbiomes is to generate a community DNA profile using fluorescent-based DNA profiling methods such as amplicon length heterogeneity-PCR followed by capillary electrophoresis. This approach is advantageous because it provides a rapid genetic pattern, or temporal snapshot, of the microbes present in a sample which is an important factor to consider when selecting samples for further sequencing processing. In the present, first of its kind thanatomicrobiome study, specimens (brain, heart, liver and spleen) from eight cadavers with various causes of death from criminal casework were investigated. These preliminary results demonstrated two apparent trends that influence the number of thanatomicrobes and perhaps the rate of proliferation; (i) the time since death, and (ii) the manner of death. Therefore, time since death proliferation rates could prove useful for forensics in determining postmortem interval.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation HRD 1401075
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gulnaz Javan, gjavan@alasu.edu
Role: In conducting this research I performed i) DNA extraction, ii) Polymerase Chain Reaction, iii) Gel Electrophoresis