Microbial Clock: A review on forensic microbiology for crime scene investigations

Abstract

Khushboo Gautam, Rakesh Rawal

As with other branches of forensic science, forensic microbiology is the study of the microbes associated with a cadaver to determine Time Since Death, Post Mortem Interval, and also identify the cause of death and personal identification. The advent of forensic microbiology and metagenomics has been aided by advances in genetic sequencing technologies, which have improved microbiological sample techniques and dramatically evolved bioinformatics pipelines. Humans carry a variety of microbial communities in and on their bodies, which constantly interact with and change their surroundings.
Main Body of the Abstract: We reviewed more than 80 papers that detailed various aspects of the Post-Mortem Microbiome in terms of the Microbial Clock to identify such as geolocation, personal identification, trace evidence, manner and cause of death, postmortem interval and Time Since Death. The fact that much of the research is carried out in mouse and swine models, which are often hard to emulate in human and real-time circumstances, is a key challenge for forensic medical and microbiological research.
Short Conclusion: To fully grasp its promise of individual Post-Mortem microbiome characterization in forensic sciences, we must include technology innovations that are either currently accessible or are being developed. Sophisticated microbial fingerprint and DNA recoverability would allow the detection of both victims and perpetrators, which are all greatly facilitated by a thorough understanding of the decomposition process. The review to address these obstacles is continuing, and microbiome-based evidence would be expected to play a role in crime scene investigations in the soon.

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