Sequencing

11th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, and Analysis in the Future Meeting
THE EFFECT OF STORAGE TIME AND
TEMPERATURE ON THE RECOVERED MICROBIOME
FROM PUBIC HAIRS
Thursday, 2nd June 15:00 La Fonda Ballroom Talk (OS‐6.06)
Diana Williams
Defense Forensic Science Center
The use of the microbial genetics in forensic science has been limited despite its potential application
in linking individuals. Recent work on the human head and pubic hair microbiome has suggested
that the pubic hair microbiome may be transferred between individuals during sexual intercourse and
detected using high‐throughput sequencing. Because this study was limited in scope, further studies
must be performed to evaluate the efficacy and reliability of this analytical method for criminal
investigations. One aspect that must be addressed involves the impact of storage on the microbiome
of samples recovered for forensic testing. Forensic samples may be stored from days to years in a
variety of conditions before analysis occurs. To test the effects of storage, pubic hair samples were
collected from volunteers and stored at room temperature, refrigerated (4oC), and frozen (‐20oC).
The samples were subject to high‐throughput sequencing at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks,
and 6 weeks post‐collection. The subsequent analysis of the sequence data showed that individual
microbial profiles and the differences in gender were the greatest source of variation between samples.
Within the samples collected from each individual, no statistically significant difference was observed
while time or temperature varied. For short‐term storage (< 6 weeks), the microbiome recovered
was not significantly affected by the storage time or temperature, suggesting that investigators and
crime labs could use already‐existing evidence storage methods.
Disclaimer: The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and
are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the United States Department of the
Army or United States Department of Defense.
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