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                            Library & Multimedia
 Next-Generation Sequencing of the Bacterial 16S rRNA Gene for Forensic Soil Comparison: A Feasibility Study
NCJ Number
              250030

Author(s)
          E. M. Jesmok, J. M. Hopkins, D. R. Foran
Date Published

February 2016
Length
              11 pages
Annotation
              This study examined the utility of soil bacterial profiling via next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in order to associate soils with their place of origin.
Abstract
              Soil has the potential to be valuable forensic evidence linking a person or item to a crime scene; however, there is no established soil individualization technique.  Soil samples were collected from ten diverse and nine similar habitats over time, and within three habitats at various horizontal and vertical distances. Bacterial profiles were analyzed using four methods: abundance charts and nonmetric multidimensional scaling provided simplification and visualization of the massive datasets, potentially aiding in expert testimony, while analysis of similarities and k-nearest neighbor offered objective statistical comparisons. The vast majority of soil bacterial profiles (95.4 percent) were classified to their location of origin, highlighting the potential of bacterial profiling via next-generation sequencing for the forensic analysis of soil samples.  (Publisher abstract modified)
      
  
          Additional Details
Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Award
        Developing Reliable Methods for Microbial Fingerprinting of Soils
    
  
  
Date Published: February 1, 2016
    
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