Sampling from four geographically divergent young female populations demonstrates forensic geolocation potential in microbiomes

Thomas Clarke; Lauren Brinkac; Chris Greco; Angela T. Allyene; Patricio Carrasco; c silva; Tiiseto Tau; Wichaya Wisitrasameewong; Manolito G. Torralba; Karen Nelson; Harinder Singh

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-21779-z

Sampling from four geographically divergent young female populations demonstrates forensic geolocation potential in microbiomes

Thomas Clarke, Lauren Brinkac, Chris Greco, Angela T. Allyene, Patricio Carrasco, c silva, Tiiseto Tau, Wichaya Wisitrasameewong, Manolito G. Torralba, Karen Nelson, Harinder Singh^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Studies of human microbiomes using new sequencing techniques have increasingly demonstrated that their ecologies are partly determined by the lifestyle and habits of individuals. As such, significant forensic information could be obtained from high throughput sequencing of the human microbiome. This approach, combined with multiple analytical techniques demonstrates that bacterial DNA can be used to uniquely identify an individual and to provide information about their life and behavioral patterns. However, the transformation of these findings into actionable forensic information, including the geolocation of the samples, remains limited by incomplete understanding of the effects of confounding factors and the paucity of diverse sequences. We obtained 16S rRNA sequences of stool and oral microbiomes collected from 206 young and healthy females from four globally diverse populations, in addition to supporting metadata, including dietary and medical information. Analysis of these microbiomes revealed detectable geolocation signals between the populations, even for populations living within the same city. Accounting for other lifestyle variables, such as diet and smoking, lessened but does not remove the geolocation signal.

Translated title of the contribution	Muestreo para 4 poblaciones geograficas divergentes de mujeres demuestra potencial uso de microbiomas en geolocalizacion
Original language	English
Article number	18547
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21779-z
State	Published - 3 Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
T.H.C., H.S. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, assisted in public release of the data, and wrote the manuscript. L.B. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. C.G. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, submitted data to public repositories, and reviewed the manuscript. A.T.A., P.C., C.I., T.T., and W.W. recruited subjects and critically reviewed the manuscript. M.T. collected and prepared the samples for microbial analysis, supervised sequencing, and reviewed the manuscript. K.E.N. conceptualized the study, co-supervised study design and recruitment, critically reviewed the manuscript, and provided financial support. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Dr. Marianela Godoy, Ms Tiisetso Tau, and Dr. Marquita Gittens, for recruiting participants and collecting data as well as students from the University of the West Indies, University of the Andes, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Chulalongkorn University who participated in the study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).

Keywords

DNA, Bacterial/genetics
Feces/microbiology
Female
Humans
Microbiota/genetics
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
Specimen Handling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41598-022-21779-z

Cite this

Clarke, T., Brinkac, L., Greco, C., Allyene, A. T., Carrasco, P., silva, C., Tau, T., Wisitrasameewong, W., Torralba, M. G., Nelson, K., & Singh, H. (2022). Sampling from four geographically divergent young female populations demonstrates forensic geolocation potential in microbiomes. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-10. Article 18547. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21779-z

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abstract = "Studies of human microbiomes using new sequencing techniques have increasingly demonstrated that their ecologies are partly determined by the lifestyle and habits of individuals. As such, significant forensic information could be obtained from high throughput sequencing of the human microbiome. This approach, combined with multiple analytical techniques demonstrates that bacterial DNA can be used to uniquely identify an individual and to provide information about their life and behavioral patterns. However, the transformation of these findings into actionable forensic information, including the geolocation of the samples, remains limited by incomplete understanding of the effects of confounding factors and the paucity of diverse sequences. We obtained 16S rRNA sequences of stool and oral microbiomes collected from 206 young and healthy females from four globally diverse populations, in addition to supporting metadata, including dietary and medical information. Analysis of these microbiomes revealed detectable geolocation signals between the populations, even for populations living within the same city. Accounting for other lifestyle variables, such as diet and smoking, lessened but does not remove the geolocation signal.",

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note = "Funding Information: T.H.C., H.S. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, assisted in public release of the data, and wrote the manuscript. L.B. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. C.G. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, submitted data to public repositories, and reviewed the manuscript. A.T.A., P.C., C.I., T.T., and W.W. recruited subjects and critically reviewed the manuscript. M.T. collected and prepared the samples for microbial analysis, supervised sequencing, and reviewed the manuscript. K.E.N. conceptualized the study, co-supervised study design and recruitment, critically reviewed the manuscript, and provided financial support. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr. Marianela Godoy, Ms Tiisetso Tau, and Dr. Marquita Gittens, for recruiting participants and collecting data as well as students from the University of the West Indies, University of the Andes, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Chulalongkorn University who participated in the study. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

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AU - Clarke, Thomas

AU - Brinkac, Lauren

AU - Greco, Chris

AU - Allyene, Angela T.

AU - Carrasco, Patricio

AU - silva, c

AU - Tau, Tiiseto

AU - Wisitrasameewong, Wichaya

AU - Torralba, Manolito G.

AU - Nelson, Karen

AU - Singh, Harinder

N1 - Funding Information: T.H.C., H.S. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, assisted in public release of the data, and wrote the manuscript. L.B. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. C.G. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, generated figures, submitted data to public repositories, and reviewed the manuscript. A.T.A., P.C., C.I., T.T., and W.W. recruited subjects and critically reviewed the manuscript. M.T. collected and prepared the samples for microbial analysis, supervised sequencing, and reviewed the manuscript. K.E.N. conceptualized the study, co-supervised study design and recruitment, critically reviewed the manuscript, and provided financial support. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr. Marianela Godoy, Ms Tiisetso Tau, and Dr. Marquita Gittens, for recruiting participants and collecting data as well as students from the University of the West Indies, University of the Andes, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Chulalongkorn University who participated in the study. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/11/3

Y1 - 2022/11/3

N2 - Studies of human microbiomes using new sequencing techniques have increasingly demonstrated that their ecologies are partly determined by the lifestyle and habits of individuals. As such, significant forensic information could be obtained from high throughput sequencing of the human microbiome. This approach, combined with multiple analytical techniques demonstrates that bacterial DNA can be used to uniquely identify an individual and to provide information about their life and behavioral patterns. However, the transformation of these findings into actionable forensic information, including the geolocation of the samples, remains limited by incomplete understanding of the effects of confounding factors and the paucity of diverse sequences. We obtained 16S rRNA sequences of stool and oral microbiomes collected from 206 young and healthy females from four globally diverse populations, in addition to supporting metadata, including dietary and medical information. Analysis of these microbiomes revealed detectable geolocation signals between the populations, even for populations living within the same city. Accounting for other lifestyle variables, such as diet and smoking, lessened but does not remove the geolocation signal.

AB - Studies of human microbiomes using new sequencing techniques have increasingly demonstrated that their ecologies are partly determined by the lifestyle and habits of individuals. As such, significant forensic information could be obtained from high throughput sequencing of the human microbiome. This approach, combined with multiple analytical techniques demonstrates that bacterial DNA can be used to uniquely identify an individual and to provide information about their life and behavioral patterns. However, the transformation of these findings into actionable forensic information, including the geolocation of the samples, remains limited by incomplete understanding of the effects of confounding factors and the paucity of diverse sequences. We obtained 16S rRNA sequences of stool and oral microbiomes collected from 206 young and healthy females from four globally diverse populations, in addition to supporting metadata, including dietary and medical information. Analysis of these microbiomes revealed detectable geolocation signals between the populations, even for populations living within the same city. Accounting for other lifestyle variables, such as diet and smoking, lessened but does not remove the geolocation signal.

KW - DNA, Bacterial/genetics

KW - Feces/microbiology

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Microbiota/genetics

KW - RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics

KW - Specimen Handling

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DO - 10.1038/s41598-022-21779-z

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85141141818

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 10

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

M1 - 18547

ER -

Sampling from four geographically divergent young female populations demonstrates forensic geolocation potential in microbiomes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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