Topic Menu
► Topic MenuTopic Editors


The Impact of the Human Microbiome and Proteome in Forensic Science
Topic Information
Dear Colleagues,
Numerous studies relate differences in microbial communities to human health and disease. However, little is known about microbial changes that occur postmortem or the possible applications of microbiome and proteome analysis in the field of forensic science.
The human microbiota is a highly dynamic system that can be affected by many factors, including spatial and temporal components, which are critical because they are associated with factors such as age, sex, life habits, geographical location, occupation, or interaction with other people. From a forensic point of view, microorganisms are essential for their role in the process of cadaveric decomposition. Additionally, microorganisms can provide evidence in many different forensic scenarios, including investigations into sexual assault when there is no other type of evidence available. Given the enormous forensic potential presented by microbial analysis, there is a need to develop standardized operating procedures for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of microbial evidence, as well as to create solid and complete databases for full implementation in the forensic context, thus allowing the use of microorganisms as auxiliary evidence in criminal cases, to clarify the causes of death, provide identification and geolocation information or to estimate the postmortem interval, among other uses. Several studies point to a promising future for microbiome analysis in the different fields of forensic science, opening up an important new area of research.
On the other hand, in recent years, the proteome has a great potential in both clinical and forensic research. In many circumstances, death’s causes cannot be precisely defined by the circumstances, date of death, or the lack of markers that facilitate clinical practice. The postmortem variation of proteins involved in vital cascades could be of great help in determining the cause of death and even the postmortem interval.
Dr. Isabel Legaz Pérez
Dr. Mº Dolores Pérez Cárceles
Topic Editors
Keywords
- forensic science
- death
- human identification
- microbiome
- postmortem interval
- proteome
Participating Journals
Journal Name | Impact Factor | CiteScore | Launched Year | First Decision (median) | APC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]()
Life
|
3.2 | 4.3 | 2011 | 17.8 Days | CHF 2600 |
![]()
Forensic Sciences
|
- | 1.7 | 2021 | 20.8 Days | CHF 1000 |
Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.
MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:
- Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
- Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
- Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
- Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
- Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.