Thesis title: Evaluation of Forensic DNA profiling success on teeth that have been submerged in the ocean.
Supervisor: A/Prof Laura Heathfield 

Unidentified bodies pose a worldwide issue, and South Africa is no exception, with 9.2% in Cape Town, 8.1% in Johannesburg, and 7%–10% in Pretoria. Sometimes, visual identification and fingerprinting analysis may not be possible due to the body's condition, such as advanced stages of decomposition, dismemberment, or burnt remains. Alternative methods like forensic odontology, forensic anthropology, and forensic DNA profiling can be employed in these cases. While forensic DNA profiling is considered the gold standard, obtaining usable DNA, especially from highly degraded human remains, remains a challenge. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the use of DNA in identifying human remains, particularly those washed up from the sea. Currently, at the University of Cape Town, an ongoing study has optimized DNA analysis procedures on a small teeth sample submerged in the ocean at Table Bay and False Bay. Therefore, this study will focus on a larger sample size with the use of optimized in-house protocols. The aim of the study is to determine the forensic DNA profiling success of teeth samples submerged in the ocean to improve the identification of degraded human remains.