Course Objectives

This course will cover in depth knowledge of forensic molecular Biology & DNA analysis, it’s disciplines and importance and working of FSL.

Learning Outcomes

• The significance of forensic Molecular biology to human society.
• The fundamental principles, functions and application of forensic molecular biology in forensic science.
• Methodologies, developement and future directions in  forensic science laboratory.

Course Syllabus

UNIT – I (Immunology)

Antigen – Epitope, essential factors for antigenicity, haptenes and adjuvant. Immunoglobulin – structure, classes of immunoglobulin, antigen – antibody reactions and their techniques in serological analysis. Application of various polymorphic enzymes and proteins in criminal investigation. Antigen Processing and presentation. Production of Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, hybridoma technology. Autoimmunity and hypersensitivity. HLA typing and its forensic importance. Vaccines. Lectins and their forensic significance.

UNIT - II (DNA, RNA and Protein Metabolism)

Organization of genome in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for genome analysis and Chromosome micro dissection. Key historical experiments of DNA metabolism. Enzymes and accessory proteins involved in DNA replication, Mechanism of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Gene transcription and post transcriptional modification in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, post translational modification, Synthesis of secretary and membrane proteins, import into nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast and peroxisomes. Receptor mediated endocytosis. Operon concept-Lac and Trp operon.

UNIT - III (Population Genetics and Bioinformatics)

Concept of population structure. Indian population structure. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Causes of evolution- admixture, selection, mutation, drift, Linkage disequilibrium, Phylogenetic tools, Paternity/ maternity indices, sibship indices, Population Genetics in Forensic DNA typing, Factors affecting accuracy of Forensic DNA typing, Principles of sequence alignment and its tools, Forensically important databases – BOLD, Hapmap, STRBase, DNA databases.

UNIT - IV (Advanced Methodologies in Forensic DNA Analysis)

Fundamentals of RFLP and PCR based DNA typing. STR genotyping, Result of STR marker analysis and its interpretation. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and its applications in forensic investigation, LCN typing, Mitochondrial DNA analysis in Forensic investigation. Y-STR analysis and its significance in establishing paternal relationships. Non-human DNA analysis.

UNIT - V (Recent Developments and future Directions in DNA profiling)

Methods of DNA sequencing. Prediction of physical characteristics, such as eye, hair, and skin color based solely on DNA. Molecular autopsy. Genetic genealogy in the genomic era. Evolving technologies in forensic dna analysis. Forensic tissue identification with nucleic acids: Classical, RNA based and DNA methylation based approaches.

Reference Books:

• Introduction to Practical Molecular Biology, P.D. Dabre, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., New York, 1988.
• Molecular  Biology of the Gene, 7^th  Edition (2013), James D. Watson, Tania A. Baker, Stephen P. Bell, Alexander Gann, Michael Levine, Richard Losick,  Benjamin Cummings ISBN: 978-0321905376.
• Molecular Cell Biology 7th Edition (2012) - Harvey Lodish, Arnold Berk, Chris A. Kaiser, Monty Krieger, Anthony Bretscher, Hidde Ploegh, Angelika Amon, Matthew P. Scott, W. H. Freeman, ISBN: 978-1429234139.
• Genes VIII – Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, ISBN: 0-19-879276-X
• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. A comprehensive desk reference, R.A. Meyers (Ed.) VCH Publishers, Inc, New York, 1999.
• Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction 7th Edition (2016) - T. A. Brown, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN: 978-1119072560
• Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 6th Edition – Nelson and Cox, Macmillan Publishers, ISBN: 978-1464109621
• Kuby Immunology 6th Edition– Kindt, Goldsby and Osborne, W.H. Freeman & Co. ISBN: 978-0716767640
• Introduction to Bioinformatics, 3^rd Edition – Arthur Lesk, Oxford University Press, ISBN: 978-0199208043
• An Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 6^th Edition – Anthony J. F. Griffiths et. al., W.H. Freeman and Co. ISBN: 978-716726043
• Bioinformatics – A practical guide to the analysis of genes and proteins, 3^rd Edition – Andreas D. Baxevanis and B.F. Francis Oullette, Wiley-Liss, ISBN: 978-0471478782
• Bioinformatics for Beginners:  Genes,  Genomes,  Molecular  Evolution,  Databases  and Analytical Tools, 1st Edition (2014) - Supratim Choudhury, Academic Press, ISBN: 978-0124104716.

Session Plan

Session 1

Antigen – Epitope, essential factors for antigenicity.

Session 2

Haptenes and Adjuvant.

Session 3

Immunoglobulin – structure.

Session 4

Classes of immunoglobulin.

Session 5

Antigen – antibody reactions and their techniques in serological analysis.

Session 6

Application of various polymorphic enzymes.

Session 7

Application of proteins in criminal investigation.

Session 8

Antigen Processing and presentation.

Session 9

Production of Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.

Session 10

Hybridoma technology.

Session 11

Autoimmunity and hypersensitivity.

Session 12

HLA typing and its forensic importance.

Session 13

Vaccines

Session 14

Lectins and their forensic significance.

Session 15

Organization of genome in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Session 16

Florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for genome analysis and Chromosome micro dissection.

Session 17

Key historical experiments of DNA metabolism.

Session 18

Enzymes and accessory proteins involved in DNA replication.

Session 19

Mechanism of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Session 20

Gene transcription and post transcriptional modification in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Session 21

Translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Session 22

Post translational modification

Session 23

Synthesis of secretary and membrane proteins, import into nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast and peroxisomes.

Session 24

Receptor mediated endocytosis.

Session 25

Operon concept-Lac and Trp operon.

Session 26

Concept of population structure.

Session 27

Indian population structure.

Session 28

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

Session 29

Causes of evolution- admixture, selection, mutation, drift.

Session 30

Linkage disequilibrium.

Session 31

Phylogenetic tools.

Session 32

Paternity/ maternity indices, sibship indices.

Session 33

Population Genetics in Forensic DNA typing.

Session 34

Factors affecting accuracy of Forensic DNA typing.

Session 35

Principles of sequence alignment and its tools.

Session 36

Forensically important databases – BOLD, Hapmap, STRBase, DNA databases.

Session 37

Fundamentals of RFLP and PCR based DNA typing.

Session 38

STR genotyping

Session 39

Result of STR marker analysis and its interpretation.

Session 40

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and its applications in forensic investigation.

Session 41

LCN typing.

Session 42

Mitochondrial DNA analysis in Forensic investigation.

Session 43

Y-STR analysis and its significance in establishing paternal relationships.

Session 44

Non-human DNA analysis

Session 45

Methods of DNA sequencing.

Session 46

Prediction of physical characteristics, such as eye, hair, and skin color based solely on DNA.

Session 47

Molecular autopsy

Session 48

Genetic genealogy in the genomic era.

Session 49

Evolving technologies in forensic dna analysis.

Session 50

Forensic tissue identification with nucleic acids: Classical, RNA based and DNA methylation based approaches.

Case Studies

Case Studies