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RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

The Evidence We Leave Behind (Part 2)

June 2022
Gregory Dutton, a physical scientist at NIJ, and science writer Jim Dawson continue their conversation on the microbiome: what it is, how it applies to forensics, and the evolution of its role in forensic science.

Determining the Age of a Sample Using RNA Sequencing

Date Published
January 2, 2020

The forensic power of DNA is clear, but biological evidence also contains RNA, another potential source of information. Because RNA decomposes quickly, its utility is considered limited. Could this decomposition provide information about a sample’s age?