1
|
D'Amato ME, Joly Y, Lynch V, Machado H, Scudder N, Zieger M. Ethical considerations for Forensic Genetic Frequency databases: First Report conception and development. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2024; 71:103053. [PMID: 38728819 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The Forensic Databases Advisory Board (FDAB), an independent board that assists the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG), has presented a First Report on ethical aspects of the following Forensic Genetic Frequency Databases (FGFD): EMPOP, STRidER and YHRD. The FDAB designed an ethical framework to evaluate the content of these FGFD, and the factors to be considered for retention and acceptance of submissions. The FDAB framework proposes to categorize submissions according to the risk of having contravened the universal ethical principles outlined by international organizations, and the guidelines adopted by the ISFG. The report has been open to discussion by the scientific community since 2023. Herein we present the conception and development of the First Report along with a summary of its content, with consideration of the feedback received.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M E D'Amato
- Forensic DNA Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Y Joly
- Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University, 740 avenue Dr. Penfield, Suite 5200, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - V Lynch
- DNAforAfrica, Cape Town, South Africa; Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Affairs, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - H Machado
- Institute for Social Sciences, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga 4180-057, Portugal
| | - N Scudder
- Centre for Forensic Science, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, Australia; Australian Federal Police, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - M Zieger
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 26, Bern CH-3008, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cardinali I, Tancredi D, Lancioni H. The Revolution of Animal Genomics in Forensic Sciences. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108821. [PMID: 37240167 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, the coexistence between humans and domestic animals (especially dogs and cats) has become a common scenario of daily life. Consequently, during a forensic investigation in civil or criminal cases, the biological material from a domestic animal could be considered "evidence" by law enforcement agencies. Animal genomics offers an important contribution in attacks and episodes of property destruction or in a crime scene where the non-human biological material is linked to the victim or perpetrator. However, only a few animal genetics laboratories in the world are able to carry out a valid forensic analysis, adhering to standards and guidelines that ensure the admissibility of data before a court of law. Today, forensic sciences focus on animal genetics considering all domestic species through the analysis of STRs (short tandem repeats) and autosomal and mitochondrial DNA SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). However, the application of these molecular markers to wildlife seems to have gradually gained a strong relevance, aiming to tackle illegal traffic, avoid the loss of biodiversity, and protect endangered species. The development of third-generation sequencing technologies has glimmered new possibilities by bringing "the laboratory into the field", with a reduction of both the enormous cost management of samples and the degradation of the biological material.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Domenico Tancredi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
A comprehensive GlobalFiler™ autosomal STR reference dataset for Southern Africa. FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL GENETICS SUPPLEMENT SERIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigss.2022.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
4
|
Teixeira da Silva JA. Handling Ethics Dumping and Neo-Colonial Research: From the Laboratory to the Academic Literature. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2022; 19:433-443. [PMID: 35731331 PMCID: PMC9215145 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-022-10191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores that the topic of ethics dumping (ED), its causes and potential remedies. In ED, the weaknesses or gaps in ethics policies and systems of lower income countries are intentionally exploited for intellectual or financial gains through research and publishing by higher income countries with a more stringent or complex ethical infrastructure in which such research and publishing practices would not be permitted. Several examples are provided. Possible ED needs to be evaluated before research takes place, and detected prior to publication as an academic paper, because it might lead to a collaborative effort between a wealthier country with restrictive ethical policies and a less wealthy country with more permissive policies. Consequently, if that collaboration ultimately results in an academic paper, there are ethical ramifications of ED to scholarly communication. Institutional review board approval is central to avoid ED-based collaborations. Blind trust and goodwill alone cannot eliminate the exploitation of indigenous or "vulnerable" populations' intellect and resources. Combining community-based participatory research using clear codes of research conduct and a simple but robust verification system in academic publishing may reduce the risks of ED-based research from being published.
Collapse
|
5
|
Integrity, Trustworthiness, and Effectiveness: Towards an Ethos for Forensic Genetics. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081453. [PMID: 36011364 PMCID: PMC9408663 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Forensic genetics comes under critical scrutiny when developments challenge previously accepted legal, ethical, social, and other boundaries. Forensic geneticists continue to build a knowledge culture within a community of practice that acknowledges ethical standards of conduct in both research and the societal application of forensic genetics. As the community further cements and extends its societal role, and in that process often pushing at ethical and legal boundaries, it requires a strong, resilient, and responsive ethos that, in setting clear parameters for conduct, fosters the field’s sense of purpose. While supra-national declarations and human rights protections, coupled with local regulations, provide some parameters for practice, and discipline-specific guidance has refined an agenda for forensic genetics research and application, this maturing field needs to now define its core principles. This contribution proposes the values of integrity, trustworthiness, and effectiveness as a foundational triptych for a bespoke forensic genetics ethos to ensure the augmentation of developments that range from a purely science-oriented to a wider societally relevant knowledge culture.
Collapse
|
6
|
Huszar TI, Bodmer WF, Hutnik K, Wetton JH, Jobling MA. Sequencing of autosomal, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal forensic markers in the People of the British Isles cohort detects population structure dominated by patrilineages. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2022; 59:102725. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
7
|
Jobling MA. Forensic genetics through the lens of Lewontin: population structure, ancestry and race. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200422. [PMID: 35430883 PMCID: PMC9014189 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In his famous 1972 paper, Richard Lewontin used ‘classical’ protein-based markers to show that greater than 85% of human genetic diversity was contained within, rather than between, populations. At that time, these same markers also formed the basis of forensic technology aiming to identify individuals. This review describes the evolution of forensic genetic methods into DNA profiling, and how the field has accounted for the apportionment of genetic diversity in considering the weight of forensic evidence. When investigative databases fail to provide a match to a crime-scene profile, specific markers can be used to seek intelligence about a suspect: these include inferences on population of origin (biogeographic ancestry) and externally visible characteristics, chiefly pigmentation of skin, hair and eyes. In this endeavour, ancestry and phenotypic variation are closely entangled. The markers used show patterns of inter- and intrapopulation diversity that are very atypical compared to the genome as a whole, and reinforce an apparent link between ancestry and racial divergence that is not systematically present otherwise. Despite the legacy of Lewontin's result, therefore, in a major area in which genetics coincides with issues of public interest, methods tend to exaggerate human differences and could thereby contribute to the reification of biological race. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Celebrating 50 years since Lewontin's apportionment of human diversity’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Jobling
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bonsu DO, Afoakwah CB, Abedi M, Higgins D, Austin JJ. Ethics Reporting in Forensic Science Research Publications – A Review. Forensic Sci Int 2022; 335:111290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
9
|
Kasu M, Cloete K, Pitere R, Tsiana K, D’Amato M. The Genetic Landscape of South African males: A Y-STR Perspective. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2022; 58:102677. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
10
|
Wienroth M, Granja R, Lipphardt V, Nsiah Amoako E, McCartney C. Ethics as Lived Practice. Anticipatory Capacity and Ethical Decision-Making in Forensic Genetics. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1868. [PMID: 34946816 PMCID: PMC8701090 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Greater scrutiny and demands for innovation and increased productivity place pressures on scientists. Forensic genetics is advancing at a rapid pace but can only do so responsibly, usefully, and acceptably within ethical and legal boundaries. We argue that such boundaries require that forensic scientists embrace 'ethics as lived practice'. As a starting point, we critically discuss 'thin' ethics in forensic genetics, which lead to a myopic focus on procedures, and to seeing 'privacy' as the sole ethical concern and technology as a mere tool. To overcome 'thin' ethics in forensic genetics, we instead propose understanding ethics as an intrinsic part of the lived practice of a scientist. Therefore, we explore, within the context of three case studies of emerging forensic genetics technologies, ethical aspects of decision-making in forensic genetics research and in technology use. We discuss the creation, curation, and use of databases, and the need to engage with societal and policing contexts of forensic practice. We argue that open communication is a vital ethical aspect. Adoption of 'ethics as lived practice' supports the development of anticipatory capacity-empowering scientists to understand, and act within ethical and legal boundaries, incorporating the operational and societal impacts of their daily decisions, and making visible ethical decision making in scientific practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Wienroth
- Centre for Crime and Policing, Department of Social Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Rafaela Granja
- Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Veronika Lipphardt
- University College Freiburg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Nsiah Amoako
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Carole McCartney
- Science & Justice Research Interest Group, Law School, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
A reference database of forensic autosomal and gonosomal STR markers in the Tigray population of Ethiopia. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 56:102618. [PMID: 34735940 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Allele frequencies of 21 autosomal STR markers (AmpF/STR GlobalFiler) and haplotype frequencies of 27 Y- and 12 X-STR markers (AmpF/STR YFiler Plus and Investigator Argus X-12, respectively) were investigated in the Tigray population of Ethiopia, representing the main population group in the Tigray regional state of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. For autosomal STR allele frequencies, the average random match probability in the Tigray sample was 2.1 × 10-27. The average locus by locus FST distance calculated comparing autosomal STR allele frequencies from Tigray and from a broad regional reference dataset currently available for the Horn of Africa was 0.003. The Tigray male sample displayed high Y-STR diversity, with complete individualization of haplotypes using the AmpF/STR YFiler Plus panel. Analysis of molecular variance did not detect significant heterogeneity between Y-STR haplotypes observed in the present study and those previously reported in the literature for other Tigray population samples from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Study of the X-STR landscape in Tigray evidenced several distinctive features including: the molecular characterization of a novel null allele at locus DXS10146 with frequency > 1%; allele dependency between loci within linkage groups I and III; significant differences in haplotype distribution compared to other Horn of Africa populations, that should be taken into account in kinship analysis. The collected data can be used as a reference STR database by local forensic genetics services and in genetic identification procedures of victims of human trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea, which frequently involve individuals originating from the Horn of Africa.
Collapse
|
12
|
Population data for 15 autosomal STR loci in Orang Asli subgroups of Peninsular Malaysia. Int J Legal Med 2021; 136:547-549. [PMID: 34608538 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02718-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Short tandem repeats (STRs) data for the Orang Asli population in Peninsular Malaysia is still scanty, especially for specific Orang Asli subgroups. The Orang Asli is believed as the earliest population arrived in Peninsular Malaysia about 50,000 years ago and currently makes up only 0.6% of the total population of Malaysia. This study reports the allele frequencies and several forensic statistical parameters for 15 autosomal STR loci for six Orang Asli subgroups. A total of 164 Orang Asli individuals representing the Semai, Che Wong, Orang Kanaq, Lanoh, Bateq, and Kensui subgroups were recruited for this study. This STR data will enrich the existing Malaysian autosomal STR database and will be useful for kinship testing and forensic applications.
Collapse
|
13
|
Lipphardt V, Rappold GA, Surdu M. Protect minorities in genetic research. Science 2021; 373:1452. [PMID: 34554779 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm2270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mihai Surdu
- Albert-Ludwig-University, Freiburg, Germany.,Research Centre on Antigypsyism, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bodner M, Perego UA, Gomez JE, Cerda-Flores RM, Rambaldi Migliore N, Woodward SR, Parson W, Achilli A. The Mitochondrial DNA Landscape of Modern Mexico. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091453. [PMID: 34573435 PMCID: PMC8467843 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mexico is a rich source for anthropological and population genetic studies with high diversity in ethnic and linguistic groups. The country witnessed the rise and fall of major civilizations, including the Maya and Aztec, but resulting from European colonization, the population landscape has dramatically changed. Today, the majority of Mexicans do not identify themselves as Indigenous but as admixed, and appear to have very little in common with their pre-Columbian predecessors. However, when the maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt)DNA is investigated in the modern Mexican population, this is not the case. Control region sequences of 2021 samples deriving from all over the country revealed an overwhelming Indigenous American legacy, with almost 90% of mtDNAs belonging to the four major pan-American haplogroups A2, B2, C1, and D1. This finding supports a very low European contribution to the Mexican gene pool by female colonizers and confirms the effectiveness of employing uniparental markers as a tool to reconstruct a country’s history. In addition, the distinct frequency and dispersal patterns of Indigenous American and West Eurasian clades highlight the benefit such large and country-wide databases provide for studying the impact of colonialism from a female perspective and population stratification. The importance of geographical database subsets not only for forensic application is clearly demonstrated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Bodner
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Ugo A. Perego
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “L. Spallanzani”, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (U.A.P.); (N.R.M.)
- Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, USA; (J.E.G.); (S.R.W.)
- Department of Math and Science, Southeastern Community College, Burlington, IA 52655, USA
| | - J. Edgar Gomez
- Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, USA; (J.E.G.); (S.R.W.)
- FamilySearch Int., Salt Lake City, UT 84150, USA
| | | | - Nicola Rambaldi Migliore
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “L. Spallanzani”, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (U.A.P.); (N.R.M.)
| | - Scott R. Woodward
- Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT 84115, USA; (J.E.G.); (S.R.W.)
| | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
- Forensic Science Program, Penn State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
- Correspondence: (W.P.); (A.A.)
| | - Alessandro Achilli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “L. Spallanzani”, Università di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (U.A.P.); (N.R.M.)
- Correspondence: (W.P.); (A.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Muinde JM, Chandra Bhanu DR, Neumann R, Oduor RO, Kanja W, Kimani JK, Mutugi MW, Smith L, Jobling MA, Wetton JH. Geographical and linguistic structure in the people of Kenya demonstrated using 21 autosomal STRs. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 53:102535. [PMID: 34051692 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Kenya is a diverse and populous nation that employs DNA evidence in its criminal justice system, and therefore requires reliable information on autosomal STR allele frequency variation across the country and in its many ethnic groups. In order to provide reference data and to assess population structure, we analysed the 21 autosomal STRs in the GlobalFiler multiplex in a sample of 510 indigenous Kenyans representing the country's eight former provinces, 43 of its 47 counties, three main linguistic families and all 29 ethnic groups that each comprise >0.5% of the 2019 census population. The indigenous population originated from successive migrations of Cushitic, Nilotic and Bantu speaking groups who settled in regions that suited their distinctive sustenance lifestyles. Consequently, they now largely reside in a patchwork of communities with strong associations with particular counties and provinces and limited degrees of inter-group marriage, as shown by DNA donors' ancestry details. We found significant genetic differentiation between the three Nilotic language sub-families, with Western Nilotes (the Luo ethnic group) showing greater similarity to the Bantu than the Southern and Eastern Nilotes which themselves showed closer affinity to the Cushitic speakers. This concurs with previous genetic, linguistic and social studies. Comparisons with other African populations also showed that linguistic affiliation is a stronger factor than geography. This study revealed several rare off-ladder alleles whose structure was determined by Sanger sequencing. Among the unusual features that could affect profile interpretation were a deletion of Amelogenin Y but no other forensic marker (autosomal or Y-chromosomal), a triallelic pattern at TPOX and an extremely short SE33 allele falling within the expected size range of D7S820. Compared with the currently implemented Identifiler multiplex, Random Match Probabilities decreased from 6.4 × 10-19 to 3.9 × 10-27. The appreciation of local population structure provided by the geographically and ethnically representative sample in this study highlights the structured genetic landscape of Kenya.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mbithe Muinde
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Rita Neumann
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Richard Okoth Oduor
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | | | - Lisa Smith
- Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Mark A Jobling
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Jon H Wetton
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| |
Collapse
|