Molecular Updates and Applications in Forensic Medicine
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2024 | Viewed by 73
Special Issue Editor
Interests: forensic and biological sciences; DNA mixture interpretation; body fluid identification; DNA methylation; age prediction; ancestry; DNA phenotyping; activity level; DNA transfer
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Molecular sciences have been providing valuable support to police investigations, medico-legal applications, and both civil and criminal proceedings. Despite their conservative nature—related to their auxiliary role in the justice system—the molecular disciplines have undergone a vast evolution in terms of available methodologies, and an increasingly substantial body of knowledge. DNA typing techniques, such as high-throughput sequencing and rapid sequencing, have been considered the golden standard for individual identification, familial searching, and animal and plant forensics thus far. The development and routine implementation of other techniques, such as transcriptomics technologies, microbiome analysis, environmental DNA analysis, molecular pathology, etc., have greatly expanded the range of retrieval information in complex cases. Furthermore, the increasing emphasis on contextualising DNA evidence has resulted in advancements in identifying body fluids, DNA phenotyping, estimating biological age and ancestry, dating of wounds, and analysing soil and microbiomes to estimate the time of death, to cite a few. This trend of innovation is combined with developments in bioinformatics, probabilistic genotyping software and statistical assessments, as in the case of evaluation at the activity level and sensitivity analysis. However, it is important to consider ethical implications alongside these scientific advancements coupled with the increasing integration of artificial intelligence in forensic sciences.
This Special Issue aims to present the current state-of-the-art molecular biology methodologies. It also intends to showcase original research advancements in the field along with their ethical and social aspects.
Dr. Eugenia Carnevali
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- forensic genetics
- forensic transcriptomics
- mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
- next-generation sequencing (NGS)
- body fluid identification
- environmental DNA analysis
- forensic entomology
- animal and plant forensics
- forensic microbiology
- paternity testing
- time of death
- advanced molecular autopsy
- disaster victim identification (DVI)
- ancient DNA
- biological age prediction
- DNA phenotyping
- ancestry
- investigative genetic genealogy
- ethics in forensic genetics
- criminal database
- DNA mixture interpretation
- activity level
- forensic bioinformatics
- artificial intelligence
- quality assurance
