Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
With a reported number of over 8,000 individual sets of human remains unidentified in the United States, improved methods are necessary to collect and accurately extract DNA from human bone while being minimally destructive. Methods are not standardized for where on the skeletal remains to collect bone samples and often result in sampling far more material than is needed.
The molecular yields observed in trabecular and cortical bone samples taken from human remains could help determine what sample types are needed for successful DNA analysis. With a hypothesis stating that due to the structure of trabecular bone, samples that contain only the trabecular bone yield higher amounts of DNA molecules than samples taken from cortical bone, this project took the preliminary steps in improving DNA sampling and extraction methods by analyzing the yield of Y-chromosome DNA from the two bone types.
This project sampled 40 locations throughout the skeleton from each bone type and subjected them to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. The results contradict the hypothesis and indicate that cortical bone samples yield higher amounts of DNA than trabecular.
The data collected from this project has provided a steppingstone to improve methods of DNA sampling of human skeletal remains. The data could be used not only to improve methods in forensic contexts but could be used for military identifications, ancestry estimations for potentially Indigenous remains, etc. Further research is needed to increase the validity of the results and affect the current methods used in the field.
Mentor Name
Dr. Meradeth Snow
Personal Statement
The research conducted in this project and my future research will be used to better the identification process of the thousands of human skeletal remains currently unidentified. DNA analysis is becoming the critical investigative tool used in identification processes. The problem lies in how it is done. I have decided to attempt to tackle this problem by testing if some better methods and techniques can be used in the identification process. Creating a system that allows for easy and accurate DNA testing improves the number of individuals identified. Another key to this research is looking at how to be minimally destructive to the remains. Once the remains are, identified, family members sometimes need to view them to gain closure. If the remains are missing large chunks of bone, it is not comforting to the families. This is also important in some cultural contexts. Some cultures need the remains to be whole, and if DNA is done, the bones are inevitably damaged, but it doesn’t need to be excessive or noticeable. The data acquired in this research has shown that there is a way this can be done. The lack of understanding and easily accessible resources about the topic create a gap in the process, starting at the medical examiner’s office and continuing to long-term storage of the remains. If a method is known and easily accessible, long-term storage becomes minimal and more people can be returned to their families. These methods can be used in various contexts, including, but not limited to, criminal cases, missing person cases, military identification, etc. My long-term goal is to use the data and techniques used in the real world. I want to utilize them for my future career and make them available for others to give the names back to as many individuals as possible.
Mykala Ward Poster Presentation Video
Y-chromosome DNA extraction from post-cranial skeletal elements
UC North Ballroom
With a reported number of over 8,000 individual sets of human remains unidentified in the United States, improved methods are necessary to collect and accurately extract DNA from human bone while being minimally destructive. Methods are not standardized for where on the skeletal remains to collect bone samples and often result in sampling far more material than is needed.
The molecular yields observed in trabecular and cortical bone samples taken from human remains could help determine what sample types are needed for successful DNA analysis. With a hypothesis stating that due to the structure of trabecular bone, samples that contain only the trabecular bone yield higher amounts of DNA molecules than samples taken from cortical bone, this project took the preliminary steps in improving DNA sampling and extraction methods by analyzing the yield of Y-chromosome DNA from the two bone types.
This project sampled 40 locations throughout the skeleton from each bone type and subjected them to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. The results contradict the hypothesis and indicate that cortical bone samples yield higher amounts of DNA than trabecular.
The data collected from this project has provided a steppingstone to improve methods of DNA sampling of human skeletal remains. The data could be used not only to improve methods in forensic contexts but could be used for military identifications, ancestry estimations for potentially Indigenous remains, etc. Further research is needed to increase the validity of the results and affect the current methods used in the field.