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Related Experiment Videos

Microbial forensics: the next forensic challenge.

Bruce Budowle1, Randall Murch, Ranajit Chakraborty

  • 1Laboratory Division, FBI, Quantico, VA 22135, USA. bruce.budowle@ic.fbi.gov

International Journal of Legal Medicine
|April 12, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Microbial forensics is a new field to investigate bioterrorism and biocrime by characterizing evidence. This discipline uses advanced genetic and chemical assays for attribution, ensuring justice and deterring future attacks.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Science
  • Microbiology
  • Biosecurity

Background:

  • Pathogens and toxins pose risks as bioweapons for bioterrorism and biocrime.
  • Forensic science must be prepared to investigate bioweapon incidents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce microbial forensics as a new subfield for investigating bioterrorism, biocrime, hoaxes, or accidental releases.
  • To outline the investigative processes and analytical tools required for microbial forensic investigations.

Main Methods:

  • Standard forensic investigation procedures including crime scene processing, evidence handling, and chain of custody.
  • Epidemiological-like investigation to determine the causal agent's etiology and identity.
  • High-resolution characterization using genetic and non-genetic assays, informatics, and chemical/physical assays for attribution.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Development and validation of all investigative process aspects, including Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC).

    • Main Results:

    • Microbial forensic investigations mirror traditional forensic processes but require specialized techniques for agent identification and attribution.
    • Advanced assays and informatics are crucial for determining the unique source of a biological sample.
    • Chemical and physical assays can reveal methods used in bioweapon preparation and dissemination.

    Conclusions:

    • Microbial forensics is essential for addressing bioweapon threats, requiring rigorous validation of investigative processes.
    • Implementation of QA/QC practices, similar to forensic DNA science, is necessary for reliability.
    • Collaboration with external laboratories is vital due to specialized analytical needs beyond traditional forensic capabilities.