Difference Analysis Based on 16S rRNA Sequencing of Different Soil Bacterial Communities / 法医学杂志

Objective To study the structure and differences of bacterial communities in different soils, and to explore the effectiveness of 16S rRNA sequencing in identification of different soil. Methods Soil samples from 7 places in Shanghai were collected, then bacterial genomic DNA were extracted from them. The fragments of hypervariable region from 16S rRNA sequences were sequenced with high-throughput sequencing techniques. The results were quantified or visualized with bioinformatics software. The differences in diversity and abundance among the three kinds of bacterial communities in soil samples from grassland, forests and beaches were compared and analyzed. Results The statistical differences that existed among the alpha diversity indexes of bacterial communities in soil samples of grassland, forests and beaches had statistical significance. The relative abundance and diversity of bacterial communities in these three kinds of soil were significantly different. Grassland soil had higher Acidobacteria abundance, forest soil had higher Proteobacteria abundance, beach soil had higher Actinobacteria abundance. However, the differences in soil bacterial communities in artificial grasslands, natural grasslands and industrial district grasslands did not have statistical significance. Conclusion 16S rRNA sequencing can effectively distinguish different soils. This method may be able to provide clues for first crime scene inference in criminal cases.

Progress in the 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing in Forensic Science / 法医学杂志

Forensic microorganism is one of the hotspots of forensic science research. Due to its conservatism and specificity, the 16S rRNA gene is found to be an ideal marker for forensic identification. With the rapid development of high throughput sequencing technology, the research on microorganisms has been gradually applied to many fields such as environment and health care. In the field of forensic science, the results of forensic microbiology research, represented by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, are also gradually applied to forensic practice, such as biological samples identification, individual identification, postmortem interval estimation, and regional inference, which not only provide clues for the investigation of cases but also complement and assist traditional methods. This paper describes the research methods and related sequencing technologies of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, summarizes its research progress, and discusses the application value and potential of 16S rRNA in forensic science.