Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41703596›Full record

ArticleGenome biology2026

Rootless hair as a reliable source of forensic genetic information.

Joshua D Kapp, Ciara Wanket, Remy Nguyen, Talia Tzadikario, Hayley Neadeau, Beth Shapiro, Samuel Sacco, Camille Schwartz, Cristina Valencia, Kelly Harkins and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Genome biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Joshua D KappDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Ciara WanketGenomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Remy NguyenDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Talia TzadikarioDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Hayley NeadeauGenomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Beth ShapiroGenomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Samuel SaccoDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Camille SchwartzAstrea Forensics, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Cristina ValenciaAstrea Forensics, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Kelly HarkinsAstrea Forensics, LLC, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Richard E GreenDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA. ed@soe.ucsc.edu.

Funding

UCSC IMSDT32GM135742 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ · PI Melissa S Jurica · 2020 to 2026
$2.7M
National Institute of Justice A21-0538-001National Institute of Justice A24-0450-001National Science Foundation GRF 2240310NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM135742
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The small amount of fragmented DNA present in rootless hair shafts is unsuitable for many assays, including most PCR-based assays. Thus, rootless hair DNA is often overlooked in biomedical and forensic analysis. Here we apply methods for efficient recovery and sequencing of minute quantities of short, fragmented DNA to single human hair shafts. Using this approach, we characterize DNA fragments in hair shafts. Despite the small quantities of fragmented DNA, we find multi-fold genome coverage can be generated from a few centimeters of most hair shafts - enough to generate accurate genotype calls and statistically compelling evidence for identity or non-identity.

Indexed as

DNAForensic GeneticsHairDNA FragmentationGenotypeHumansSequence Analysis, DNADNA

Identifiers

PMID41703596
PMCPMC13020303

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.