Challenges in Human Skin Microbial Profiling for Forensic Science: A Review

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Forensic Science
• Genomics

Background:

• The human microbiome comprises microbes on and within an individual.
• Microbial profiling analyzes these microbes for identification purposes.
• Forensic applications are being explored for human identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent studies on microbial profiling for forensic applications.
• To highlight challenges, particularly sample contamination.
• To evaluate the potential and limitations of microbial profiling in forensics.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on microbial profiling.
• Analysis of studies reporting on sample contamination.
• Evaluation of the impact of contamination on forensic applications.

Main Results:

• Recent studies reveal significant issues with technical and environmental contamination.
• Contamination impacts the reliability of microbiome data for forensic use.
• Forensic utility is currently limited by these contamination challenges.

Conclusions:

• Microbial profiling has potential for human identification in forensics.
• Addressing sample contamination is crucial for reliable application.
• Limitations must be acknowledged or resolved before widespread forensic adoption.