Characterization of Bacterial and Microbial Eukaryotic Communities (including Fungal) Associated with Corpse Decomposition Using Next Generation Sequencing

The purpose of this project was to determine whether the succession of microbial communities associated with corpses and their gravesoil are sufficiently predictable to be useful in postmortem interval (PMI) determination. The project characterized the basic successional dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities associated with cadavers of three mammalian taxa, and their gravesoils, in both controlled and outdoor settings. The results show strong promise that an accurate estimate of PMI can be obtained by tracking microbial community change with next-generation sequencing.