The Impact of Processing and Sampling Procedures on the Integrity of Forensically Relevant Biomolecules in Bones

The investigators propose the research project titled “The Impact of Processing and Sampling Procedures on the Integrity of Forensically Relevant Biomolecules in Bones for Human Identification and Forensic Intelligence Purposes”.
Overall, the purpose is to provide guidance on optimized sample collection and processing strategy for challenging bones that guarantees retention, extractability, and survival of forensically relevant biomolecules. By including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, the project seeks to improve human identification, estimation of post-mortem intervals, age-at-death, and ancestry determinations. It also evaluates different sample workflows to determine their compatibility with existing DNA-based methods, aiming to broaden the scope of reliable forensic data. This approach promises significant advancements in forensic practice and law enforcement, particularly in handling cases involving compromised skeletal remains.
Project activities include 1) identify the least-damaging bone processing protocol that maximizes biomolecular survival, 2) test if less invasive and time-consuming sampling strategies from bones can be equally as effective for preserving biomolecules, and 3) evaluate if different skeletal elements experience different biomolecular decay patterns and which skeletal element may provide the most reliable multiple biomolecular signatures for forensic analyses. The effect of each method on quantity/quality of DNA will be tested, as well as on proteomic, metabolomic and lipidomic datasets. The project will then leverage these datasets by using them to: 4) refine current models of molecular decay to estimate AAD and PMI. 5) Finally, and most ambitiously, the proteomic datasets will be used to expand on known peptide non-synonymous SNP biomarkers, validate them genetically and proteomically, using them to measure random match probabilities and ancestral estimates, and use them as a further measure of biomolecule robustness in different skeletal treatments and pre-treatments. The resulting inferred SNP genotypes have the potential to synergistically enhance partial STR-based RMPs and provide ancestral estimates that are useful investigative leads.
Expected outcomes include contribution to one Master's thesis, three open-access manuscripts for publication in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals, and multiple conference proceedings.
Forensic science/crime laboratories, human decomposition facilities and medical examiner offices are the intended beneficiaries of the project.
The project will be led by Sam Houston State University and will involve UC Davis and University of Central Lancashire as subrecipient. CA/NCF