title: Frozen: Thawing and Its Effect on the Postmortem Microbiome in Two Pediatric Cases.
abstract: Previous postmortem microbiome studies have focused on characterizing taxa turnover during an undisturbed decomposition process. How coexisting conditions (e.g., frozen, buried, burned) affect the human microbiome at the time of discovery is less well understood. Microbiome data were collected from two pediatric cases at the Wayne County Medical Examiner in Michigan. The bodies were found frozen, hidden in a freezer for an extended time. Microbial communities were sampled from six external anatomic locations at three time points during the thawing process, prior to autopsy. The 16S rRNA V4 gene amplicon region was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). Microbial diversity increased, and there was a distinct shift in microbial community structure and abundance throughout the thawing process. Overall, these data demonstrate that the postmortem human microbiome changes during the thawing process, and have important forensic implications when bodies have been substantially altered, modified, and concealed after death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 243 Natural Science Building, East Lansing, MI.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pechal
authors.affiliation: Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office and Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, 1300 E. Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI.
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, 295 Lee Blvd., Mississippi State University, MS.
authors.forename: Heather R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology; Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties; and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, 243 Natural Science Building, East Lansing, MI.
authors.forename: M Eric
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Benbow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: concealment; forensic pathology; forensic science; frozen; pediatrics; postmortem microbiome