Genes After Death - Forensic

A study published in Nature Communications revealed an important insight based on the activity of cells that continued to live even after death. While carrying out an analysis on a dead sample, scientists found that some cells turned out to be even more active after death and this can be used as an important forensic tool in future.

Genes remain locked in our DNA and when these are switched on, only then do they form a molecule known as RNA. This reliance on the stored post-mortem samples triggered Prof Roderic Guigó and his team at the Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology for further investigation. The post-mortem specimens that were collected within 24 hours of death were compared to specimens collected from subjects just before death and underlying discovery was a total surprise for the computational biologists conducting this study. The understanding of the changes brought about by RNA levels occurring after death can act as a crucial factor in future criminal investigation. However, before its application in forensic tool, a lot of other investigations and in-detail study based on several other important parameters need to be made.

By: Tulika Dey

Content: www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43046905