ArticleInvestigative genetics2014
Metagenomic analyses of bacteria on human hairs: a qualitative assessment for applications in forensic science.
Article in Investigative genetics, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.
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31 citing papers in PubMed, 86 citations in OpenAlex.
- Microbial genomics: a potential toolkit for forensic investigations.Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2025Review
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- Sample collecting methods for bacterial community structure analysis of scalp hair: non-invasive swabbing versus intrusive hair shaft cutting.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Exploring the role of the human microbiome in forensic identification: opportunities and challenges.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Review
- Rare post-operative intracranial abscess due to Serratia marcescens: what we can learn from it?BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Extreme pubic hair removal as a potential risk factor for recurrent urinary tract infections in women.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- The Future Is Now: Unraveling the Expanding Potential of Human (Necro)Microbiome in Forensic Investigations.Microorganisms · 2023Review
- The Gut and Skin Microbiome in Alopecia: Associations and Interventions.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2023Review
- Environmental DNA as an innovative technique to identify the origins of falsified antimalarial tablets-a pilot study of the pharmabiome.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Hair Microbiome Diversity within and across Primate Species.mSystems · 2022Article
- Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics.Genetics and molecular biology · 2022Article
- Analysis of Microbial Communities: An Emerging Tool in Forensic Sciences.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Host factors that shape the bacterial community structure on scalp hair shaft.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Multiomic Approach to Analyze Infant Gut Microbiota: Experimental and Analytical Method Optimization.Biomolecules · 2021Article
- The impact of cross-kingdom molecular forensics on genetic privacy.Microbiome · 2021Article
- Estimation of Personal Environment Via Fingertip Microbiome and Mobile Phone Surfaces.Iranian journal of biotechnology · 2021Article
- Review
- Forensic Applications of Microbiomics: A Review.Frontiers in microbiology · 2020Review
- Retrieving forensic information about the donor through bacterial profiling.International journal of legal medicine · 2020Article
- Hydrolysis and Methanogenesis in UASB-AnMBR Treating Municipal Wastewater Under Psychrophilic Conditions: Importance of Reactor Configuration and Inoculum.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMammalian hairs are one of the most ubiquitous types of trace evidence collected in the course of forensic investigations. However, hairs that are naturally shed or that lack roots are problematic substrates for DNA profiling; these hair types often contain insufficient nuclear DNA to yield short tandem repeat (STR) profiles. Whilst there have been a number of initial investigations evaluating the value of metagenomics analyses for forensic applications (e.g. examination of computer keyboards), there have been no metagenomic evaluations of human hairs-a substrate commonly encountered during forensic practice. This present study attempts to address this forensic capability gap, by conducting a qualitative assessment into the applicability of metagenomic analyses of human scalp and pubic hair.
resultsForty-two DNA extracts obtained from human scalp and pubic hairs generated a total of 79,766 reads, yielding 39,814 reads post control and abundance filtering. The results revealed the presence of unique combinations of microbial taxa that can enable discrimination between individuals and signature taxa indigenous to female pubic hairs. Microbial data from a single co-habiting couple added an extra dimension to the study by suggesting that metagenomic analyses might be of evidentiary value in sexual assault cases when other associative evidence is not present.
conclusionsOf all the data generated in this study, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) data generated from pubic hair held the most potential for forensic applications. Metagenomic analyses of human hairs may provide independent data to augment other forensic results and possibly provide association between victims of sexual assault and offender when other associative evidence is absent. Based on results garnered in the present study, we believe that with further development, bacterial profiling of hair will become a valuable addition to the forensic toolkit.
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