Comparing Microbial Source Tracking Methods for Precision and Reliability

Authors: Kazemi M, Jiang H and An L*

DOI: 10.23880/ijfsc-16000369

Volume 9, Issue 1

Abstract

Microbial source tracking is a valuable tool in forensic science, specifically in the analysis of trace evidence. Numerous tools have been developed to estimate the proportion of different contamination sources within a mixture. In this study, we evaluate the accuracy of various source tracking methods using datasets from microbiome studies. In addition to assessing source tracking methods, we also incorporate two widely used cell type deconvolution methods, namely EPIC and PREDE, which are designed to identify missing cell types in a given dataset. Furthermore, we investigate the effectiveness of combined methods by integrating RAD, a source tracking method aimed at filtering out unimportant sources, with either EPIC or PREDE for enhanced accuracy in both source tracking and cell type deconvolution. This research represents a pioneering effort to examine the application of cell type deconvolution methods in source tracking and vice versa. Particularly noteworthy is our focus on scenarios involving missing sources or cell types in the reference data, shedding light on the intricate interplay between these two analytical domains.

Keywords: Microbiome; Trace Evidence; Forensic Study; Deconvolution

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