Microbiological Forensics: New Possibilities in Criminal Investigations

Abstract

Forensic evidence is the keystone of criminal investigation, providing objective scientific evidence to substantiate the identification or exclusion of crimes within a court. One of the emerging trends in the area is the new addition of a new sub-discipline called microbial forensics, founded on the examination of the microscopic microbial populations of the individual or crime scene. These microbe populations are a unique biological trace which can serve as new evidence in criminal offenses, especially if other evidence is lost or admissible. The sources of microbials evidence are also varied and vary from blood, skin, and hair to biological tissues, soil, surfaces, and crime equipment. It is characterized by its variability and biological intricacy and shows various environmental and personal effects. Techniques of analyzing this evidence include microbial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and high-throughput gene sequencing (NGS), along with the use of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence in analyzing big data and improving result accuracy. Microbial evidence can be used in identifying individuals, tracking environment or biological crimes, linking evidence to criminals, and determining the time of death with accuracy using monitoring of changes in microbial populations at the time of death. Despite being of immense potential, it also comes with problems that it encounters, such as the problem of sampling accurately, environmental contamination of microbial data, and low legal acceptance, with ongoing development, there is little doubt that microbial forensics will be an essential tool of use in criminal investigations, more so in reference database construction, addition to standard genetic evidence, and bolstering legislative frameworks for use in courts.