Biomolecular analyses of cadaveric tissues for improved PMI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Biomolecular analyses of tissues from the deceased for improved post-mortem interval estimations
IRAS ID
360724
Contact name
Noemi Procopio
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Lancashire
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Understanding exactly how long someone has been deceased — known as the post-mortem interval (PMI) — is a key part of many forensic investigations. It helps experts reconstruct events, provide answers to families, and support legal processes. However, current ways of estimating PMI, such as checking body temperature or signs of decomposition, are often unreliable, especially within the first few days after death. These traditional methods are also easily affected by outside conditions like temperature, clothing, or where the body was found.
This study explores a new and more scientific way to estimate PMI by looking at biological molecules in the body that naturally change after death. These include proteins, DNA, RNA, small chemicals called metabolites, and even bacteria. Using advanced laboratory techniques, scientists can measure how these molecules change over time in a predictable way. The goal is to identify which molecules – and in which body tissues – are the most accurate indicators of how long someone has been dead.
To do this, the project will analyse samples from people who have died in hospitals or in medicolegal cases where the exact time of death is known. These samples will help build a detailed picture of what happens to the body at a molecular level in the hours and days following death.
The research is being conducted in collaboration with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, ensuring access to well-documented cases and a respectful, ethical approach to working with the deceased.
By combining different types of biological data, the team hopes to create a more accurate, science-based model for estimating time since death — a breakthrough that could significantly improve how forensic investigations are carried out in the future.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0207
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion