Postmortem submersion interval prediction model based on the rat muscle microbiome.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Accurate estimation of post-mortem submersion interval (PMSI) is a critical challenge in forensic science. The current research has largely focused on the microbial communities in the skin and gut, which are susceptible to environmental contamination, while the potential of internal tissues remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate whether the microbiome of skeletal muscle, a relatively closed ecosystem, undergoes a predictable succession following submersion in water PMSI and to evaluate its potential for building a high-precision PMSI prediction model, which is independent of the cause of death (drowning vs. post-mortem submersion).

Methods

Using 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats, we established drowning (D group) and post-mortem submersion (PS group) mode

SUBMITTER: Ma CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12848373 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature