Your Genes Aren’t the Only Thing You’re Swapping with Your Partner

Fluorescence microscopy giant, researchers at Murdoch University in Australia has made a groundbreaking discovery that shines light on what happens after sex. The study found that people also leave behind remnants of their genital bacteria, a.k.a. the "sexome."

A Viability of Identifying Sexual Assault Cases

The study aimed to test whether our microbiomes, the neighborhoods of bacteria that live in or on our bodies, could be used as a landmark for forensic crime investigation. To identify these microbes, researchers used genetic sequencing to analyze the 16S ribosomal RNA segment of the patient’s speciments. The findings showed that the sexual bacteria can be identified post-sex.

The Sexome: A New Frontier in Forensic Investigation

The researchers coined the term "mate" for the communities of bacteria living on our genitals. Forensic scientist Brendan Chapman explained it like this: "We work on the concept of contact leaving a residue behind. With fingerprints that’s obviously the residues from our skin in the case of the sexome, we’re using the healthy bacterial communities living on, and within, our bodies as a means of detecting that transfer."

Identification using the Sexome

Chapman and team conducted a study with 12 monogamous, heterosexual couples, and found that they were able to identify unique DNA sequence variants from the male on the female and vice versa.

Factors that Affect Sexome Transfer

The researchers found that factors like pubic hair or circumcision did not appear to affect how easily shared bacteria were transferred between partners. However, condom use did affect these transfers, with most of the swapped bacteria coming from the woman to the man.

Future Developments and Potential Applications

While there are still many questions to be answered, researchers are hopeful about the potential for sexome analysis to become a tool for forensic investigation. They note that menstruation may affect the makeup of a woman’s microbiome, and more research is needed to account for these changes.

However, with this technology, scientists are optimistic about the potential for sexome analysis to become an additional tool in the forensic DNA toolkit to help identify perpetrators of sexual assault.