Scientists have found biomarkers that help determine the exact time of death in water

A team of scientists from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle (UK) presented a new method for determining

the exact time of the person's death. It involves measuring the level of a specific protein in your bones. They reported their findings in the Journal of Proteome Research.

The researchers explained that forensic medicinePathologists usually sample the level of degradation from several areas of the body, but when it has been in water for a long time, other factors can make it difficult to determine the so-called postmortem immersion interval (PMSI).

In order to test their method, theyused the bodies of 22 frozen mice. They thawed one set of mice at room temperature and the other at body temperature. Then they put the carcasses of mice in different types of water.

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They found that the type of water has lesseffect on protein levels than the duration of the immersion of bodies. For example, they found that the longer the dive time, the lower the level of a protein called aldolase becomes. The type of water influenced one type of protein: fetuin was more likely to change chemically in the pond water.

The researchers note that proteins can be excellent biomarkers for timing of death. In the future, the team wants to study the effect of different temperatures on bone proteomics.

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