Forens-OMICS

The Forens-OMICS team is led by Dr Noemi Procopio, a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. We aim to advance the estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI) and age-at-death of a person by applying innovative tissue sample testing to improve the reliability, objectivity and accuracy of these estimations. This is particularly important for heavily decomposed or skeletonised remains, but also where the PMI is debated.

The main technologies we use include genetic sequencing, metabarcoding of microbial populations and mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS/MS) analyses.

Other important aspects of our research include the application of our disciplines to other forensic scenarios. This includes the use of forensic microbiology to assist with human identification of living subjects, plus the combination of disciplines to analyse the time-elapsed since deposition of biological stains on a surface.

Our team is keen to improve current practice for the treatment of human remains. We aim to show that current practices to clean and prepare bones are detrimental to the bone biomolecular signature. We are working in collaboration with Human Taphonomy Facilities to improve methods in order to preserve biomolecules for future research and caseworks.

Dr Noemi Procopio, Senior Research Fellow and PI of the team.
Dr Andrea Bonicelli, Research Associate.
Luke Gent, PhD student at UCLan graduating in 2024.
Nengi Ogbanga, PhD student at Northumbria University graduating in 2025.
Giulia Sguazzi, PhD student at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara (Italy) graduating in 2025.
Andy Andrews, PhD student at Murdoch University in Perth (Australia), graduating in 2027.

Former interns and students:

Maria Elena Chiappetta, Traineeship Erasmus+ (2024), University of Calabria (Italy)
Sara Locorriere, Postgraduate Erasmus+ (2024), University of Turin (Italy)
Ziling Zhou, Postgraduate Intern (2023), University of Cambridge (UK)
Elisa Roggia, Postgraduate Erasmus+ (2023), University of Turin (Italy)
Halima Al Balushi, Undergraduate Intern (2023), University of Central Lancashire (UK)
Zoha Khan Perveen, Undergraduate Intern (2023), University of Central Lancashire (UK)
Emma Eriksson, Postgraduate Erasmus+ (2023), Uppsala University (Sweden)
Maria Elena Chiappetta, Postgraduate Erasmus+ (2022), University of Calabria (Italy)
Haruka Mizukami, MSc Student (2019), Northumbria University (UK)

University of Eastern Piedmont - Dr Procopio is visiting Professor at the university and has active research collaborations with them.
South Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility - a Forens-OMICS project partner which allows Dr Procopio to conduct her experiments and samplings.
Forensic Anthropology Center, Texas State University - Dr Procopio’s research is done in close collaboration with the center, where she conducts part of her experiments and samplings. Dr Procopio is also a visiting Researcher at Texas State University.

Invited Oral Presentation at the 18th International Forum for Medical Students and Junior Doctors: “Postmortem Interval Estimation: Recent Advances in Forensic Sciences”. Crete, Greece, 25 May 2024.
Oral Presentation at Gruppo Italiano di Patologia Forense (GIPF) XI National Meeting: “Unveiling Temporal Secrets: Advancing PMI Estimation through Multi-Omics Approaches”. Rome, Italy, 18 – 20 April 2024.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 76th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Discovering the Mysteries About Degradation of Extracted DNA Stored in Different Conditions: Updates After 400 Days of Testings”. Denver, Colorado, 19 – 23 February 2024.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 76th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Microbiome Across the Pond: Decomposition in North Dakota Extreme Winter Temperatures Versus United Kingdom Summer Temperatures and Their Effect on the Microbiome for PMI Estimation”. Denver, Colorado, 19 – 23 February 2024.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 76th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Developing a Multi-Omics Bone Biomolecular Signature by Integrating Metabolomics, Lipidomics, and Proteomics to Estimate Postmortem Interval”. Denver, Colorado, 19 – 23 February 2024.
Oral Presentation at at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 76th Annual Scientific Meeting: “A Longitudinal Study for PMI Estimation Via GC/MS Metabolomics Applied to Porcine Muscle Tissue”. Denver, Colorado, 19 – 23 February 2024.
Oral Presentation at British Association of Forensic Anthropology (BAFA) Winter Conference: “Advancing Forensic Age Prediction: Examining the Skeletal DNA Methylome with TWIST”. Wrexham University, UK, 9 December 2023.
Oral Presentation at British Association of Forensic Anthropology (BAFA) Winter Conference: “Metabolomics on maggots for PMI estimation”. Wrexham University, UK, 9 December 2023.
Invited Keynote at 7th Conference of the Italian Academy of Forensic Science (AcISF): “Forens-OMICS Approach for PMI Estimation: How to Improve the Estimations in Real Forensic Caseworks?” Naples, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2023.
Oral Presentation at 23rd International Association of Forensic Science (IAFS): “Exploring Post-Mortem Interval Estimation through analysis of the Gravesoil Thanatomicrobiome of an Experimental Mass Grave”. Sydney, Australia, 20 – 24 November 2023.
Oral Presentation at 23rd International Association of Forensic Science (IAFS): “Multi-omics Approach for Postmortem Interval Estimation”. Sydney, Australia, 20 – 24 November 2023.
Oral Presentation at British Association Human Identification conference (BAHID): “Application of the human oral microbiome in characterising migration”. Moreton-in-the-Marsh, UK, 20 – 22 October 2023.
Oral Presentation at British Association Human Identification conference (BAHID): “Beyond the Double Helix: Exploring Bioinformatics and DNA Methylation in Estimating Age-at-Death”. Moreton-in-the-Marsh, UK, 20 – 22 October 2023.
Oral Presentation at 20th anniversary of the Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe (FASE): “Potential of the integration of multiple omics profiles for post-mortem interval estimation”. Marseille, France, September 2023.
Oral Presentation at 11th European Meeting on Forensic Archaeology (EMFA): “First results of an ongoing program of Forensic Taphonomic experiments simulating Primary and Secondary Mass Graves”. Madrid, Spain, 28 – 29 September 2023.
Oral Presentation at British Association of Forensic Anthropology (BAFA): “A novel approach of age-at-death estimation of skeletal remains through DNA methylomics”. Coventry (UK), 29 April 2023.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 75th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Metabolomics-Based Estimation of Post-Mortem Interval from Bones for Forensic Applications”. Orlando, Florida, 13 – 17 February 2023.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 75th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Experimental Maceration on Human Bones – How Does It Impact the “Forens-OME”?”. Orlando, Florida, 13 – 17 February 2023.
Oral Presentation at American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) – 75th Annual Scientific Meeting: “Discovering the Mysteries about Degradation of Extracted DNA from Trace Evidence when Stored in Different Conditions: State of the Art and Future Perspectives”. Orlando, Florida, 13 – 17 February 2023.

Dr Noemi Procopio awarded with the Best Oral Talk at XI National Meeting of the Italian Group of Forensic Pathologists (GIPF), Rome, Italy, 20 April 2024.
Dr Noemi Procopio awarded with the Best Oral Talk in Forensic Taphonomy and Entomology at IAFS 2023, Sidney, Australia, 24 December 2023.
Zoha Khan Perveen awarded with the Best Oral Presentation at British Association of Forensic Anthropology (BAFA) Winter Conference, Wrexham University, UK, 9 December 2023.
Luke Gent awarded with the Best Oral Presentation at British Association of Forensic Anthropology (BAFA), Coventry, UK, 29 April 2023.
Dr Noemi Procopio listed as 2023 North Innovation Women by NHSA and N8 Research Partnership, March 2023.
Dr Noemi Procopio awarded with the Excellence Award in Biology and Forensic Genetics at the “Excellence, Investigation and Forensic Awards, 4^th Edition”, Milan, Italy, 10 March 2022.