Research progress and application of the third-generation sequencing technologies in forensic medicine

Third-generation sequencing technologies, exemplified by single-molecule real-time sequencing and nanopore sequencing, provide a constellation of advantages, including long read lengths, high throughput, real-time sequencing capabilities, and remarkable portability. These cutting-edge methodologies have provided new tools for genomic analysis in forensic medicine. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current applications and cutting-edge trends of third-generation sequencing technologies in forensic medicine, this study retrieved relevant literature from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database and the Web of Science (WOS) database. Using bibliometric software CiteSpace 6.1.R6, the study visualized publication volume, countries, and keywords related to the application of third-generation sequencing technologies in forensic medicine from 2014 to 2023. The review then summarized the foundational principles, characteristics, and promising prospects of third-generation sequencing technologies in forensic medicine. Notably, it highlights their remarkable contributions in forensic individual identification, body fluid identification, forensic epigenetic analysis, microbial analysis and forensic species identification.