Analysis of Microbial Communities: An Emerging Tool in Forensic Sciences

The objective of forensic sciences is to find clues in a crime scene in order to reconstruct the scenario. Classical samples include DNA or fingerprints, but both have inherent limitations and can be uninformative. Another type of sample has emerged recently in the form of the microbiome. Supported by the Human Microbiome Project, the characteristics of the microbial communities provide real potential in forensics. They are highly specific and can be used to differentiate and classify the originating body site of a human biological trace. Skin microbiota is also highly specific and different between individuals, leading to its possibility as an identification tool. By extension, the possibilities of the microbial communities to be deposited on everyday objects has also been explored. Other uses include the determination of the post-mortem interval or the analysis of soil communities. One challenge is that the microbiome changes over time and can be influenced by many environmental and lifestyle factors. This review offers an overview of the main methods and applications to demonstrate the benefit of the microbiome to provide forensically relevant information.

Automated summary

The objective of forensic sciences is to reconstruct the scenario of a crime by finding clues at the crime scene. Traditional samples like DNA or fingerprints have limitations, and a new type of sample called the microbiome has emerged as a potential tool in forensics. The characteristics of microbial communities can be used to differentiate and classify the origins of human biological traces, and they can also provide information about post-mortem intervals or soil communities. However, the microbiome is influenced by time and environmental factors, which presents a challenge.