diff --git a/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/Path.pm b/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/Path.pm
index f374aa8a..9b20e34d 100644
--- a/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/Path.pm
+++ b/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/Path.pm
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use List::MoreUtils qw(any notall uniq);
 use Moose::Role;
 
 use WTSI::NPG::iRODS;
-use WTSI::NPG::iRODS::Metadata qw($STUDY_ID);
+use WTSI::NPG::iRODS::Metadata qw($STUDY_ID $ALIGNMENT_FILTER);
 
 our $VERSION = '';
 
@@ -294,6 +294,22 @@ sub expected_groups {
     push @groups, $group;
   }
 
+  # For nonconsented split-out human data add a special group.
+  # Give preference to the 'alignment_filter' metadata attribute.
+  # If this attrbute is not defined, examine the path of the object.
+  if (@groups == 1) { # Do not give access to nc human data to multiple groups.
+    my $give_human_subset_access = 0;
+    my @af_avus = $self->find_in_metadata($ALIGNMENT_FILTER);
+    if (not @af_avus and $self->str =~ /_human[.]/xms) {
+      $give_human_subset_access = 1;
+    } elsif (@af_avus and any { $_->{value} eq 'human' } @af_avus) {
+      $give_human_subset_access = 1;
+    }
+    if ($give_human_subset_access) {
+      push @groups, $groups[0] . '_human';
+    }
+  }
+
   return @groups;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/DataObjectTest.pm b/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/DataObjectTest.pm
index 4a044ab9..c49ead46 100644
--- a/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/DataObjectTest.pm
+++ b/t/lib/WTSI/NPG/iRODS/DataObjectTest.pm
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use Test::Exception;
 Log::Log4perl::init('./etc/log4perl_tests.conf');
 
 use WTSI::NPG::iRODS::DataObject;
-use WTSI::NPG::iRODS::Metadata qw($STUDY_ID);
+use WTSI::NPG::iRODS::Metadata qw($STUDY_ID $ALIGNMENT_FILTER);
 
 my $fixture_counter = 0;
 my $data_path = './t/data/path';
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ sub update_group_permissions : Test(12) {
     ok($r2, 'Removed ss_0 read access');
 
     # Add a study 0 AVU and use it to update (add) permissions
-    # in the presence of anAVU that will infer a non-existent group
+    # in the presence of an AVU that will infer a non-existent group
     ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '0'));
     ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, 'no_such_study'));
     ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
@@ -695,4 +695,197 @@ sub update_group_permissions : Test(12) {
   }
 }
 
+sub update_group_permissions_for_nc_human_data : Test(49) {
+
+  my $irods = WTSI::NPG::iRODS->new(environment          => \%ENV,
+                                    strict_baton_version => 0);
+  my ($fh, $empty_file) = tempfile(UNLINK => 1);
+
+  #####
+  # Object with a name that should not trigger _human group assignment
+  my $obj_path = "$irods_tmp_coll/test_file_human_no.txt";
+  $irods->add_object($empty_file, $obj_path) or fail;
+  my $obj = WTSI::NPG::iRODS::DataObject->new($irods, $obj_path);
+  ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '10'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  my @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  my $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = none { exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human' }
+             @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is not added');
+
+  #####
+  # Object with a name that should not trigger _human group assignment
+  $obj_path = "$irods_tmp_coll/test_file_nohuman.txt";
+  $irods->add_object($empty_file, $obj_path) or fail;
+  $obj = WTSI::NPG::iRODS::DataObject->new($irods, $obj_path);
+ 
+  # No alignment filter metadata
+  ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '10'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is not added');
+
+  # phix alignment filter metadata
+  ok($obj->add_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'phix'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is not retained');
+  
+  # yhuman alignment filter metadata 
+  ok($obj->remove_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'phix'));
+  ok($obj->add_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'yhuman'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is not added');
+
+  # human alignment filter metadata
+  ok($obj->remove_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'yhuman'));
+  ok($obj->add_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'human'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions; 
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read' 
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_10_human read access');
+
+  # Multiple alignment filter metadata
+  ok($obj->add_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'phix'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is retained');
+ 
+  # Metadata for two studies
+  ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '100'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_10 read access');
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_100 read access');
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_10_human access is not retained');
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_100_human access is not added');
+  
+  #####
+  # Object with a name that should trigger _human group assignment
+  $obj_path = "$irods_tmp_coll/test_file_human.txt";
+  $obj = WTSI::NPG::iRODS::DataObject->new($irods, $obj_path);
+  $irods->add_object($empty_file, $obj_path) or fail;
+  
+  # No study metadata
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} =~ /_human\Z/xms
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'None of _human access groups is added');
+  
+  # Single study metadata
+  ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '100'));  
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_100 read access');
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100_human' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_100_human read access');
+
+  # Single study metadata and conflicting alignment filter
+  ok($obj->add_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'phix'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100_human'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'ss_100_human access is not present');
+  
+  # Drop conflicting alignment filter metadata
+  ok($obj->remove_avu($ALIGNMENT_FILTER, 'phix'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions;
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100_human' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_100_human read access');
+
+  # Metadata for two studies
+  ok($obj->add_avu($STUDY_ID, '10'));
+  ok($obj->update_group_permissions);
+  @permissions = $obj->get_permissions; 
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_100' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Retained ss_100 read access');
+  $outcome = any {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} eq 'ss_10' &&
+    exists $_->{level} && $_->{level} eq 'read'
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'Added ss_10 read access'); 
+  $outcome = none {
+    exists $_->{owner} && $_->{owner} =~ /_human\Z/xms
+  } @permissions;
+  ok($outcome, 'None of _human access groups is added');
+}
+
 1;