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                            Funding & Awards
 Development of a Human Virome Based Microarray as a Forensic Tool
Award Information
Awardee
              BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Award #
              2019-R2-CX-0048
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    LINCOLN, NE
Congressional District
              1
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2019
Total funding (to date)
              $146,805
Original Solicitation
              Graduate Research Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, FY 2019
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2019, $146,805)
Advances in forensic science DNA analysis have enabled for greater detection, collection, and analysis of evidentiary biological material. However, in many cases, the low amounts of human DNA collected lack sufficient quality and/or quantity to produce a full genetic profile. This proposal is designed to address the development and implication of the human viral skin microbiome (also known as the virome) as an alternative, more stable and robust genetic source that can be utilized in instances where traditional short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of human DNA is not feasible. The skin virome offers some advantages over traditional human and/or skin bacterial DNA, as it is protected by a protein capsid and condensed. Because viruses mutate faster than other organisms, it has greater genetic diversity leading to the potential development of more specific genetic markers. Preliminary data has shown that the human virome has regions of stability over time, as well as variation in viral community composition from one individual to the next.
In cases where the human DNA template is too low and allele dropout is experienced, the addition of virome genetic markers can act to increase the power of discrimination of a profile. The goal of this project is to further investigate the applicability of the human virome by establishing human skin viral candidate biomarkers that can be utilized in an accurate, reproducible, and highly discriminatory pattern profile.These biomarkers will then be incorporated into a microarray-based assay that will enable for rapid and cost-effective production of a virome profile. As such, development of this microarray-based tool will aid in the integration of virome processing into the current forensic tool kit and its application into real world situations beyond method development.
Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR  200.210(a)(14). ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      The persistence and stabilization of auxiliary genes in the human skin virome
                  Genome Sequence of Feline Papillomavirus Strain P20 Assembled from Metagenomic Data from the Skin of a House Cat Owner
                  The application of the skin virome for human identification
                  The Human Skin Virome: Diversity, Ecology, and Human Identification

  
Date Created: September 16, 2019
    
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