Integrating the human microbiome in the forensic toolkit: Current bottlenecks and future solutions

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Forensic Science
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Advances in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics have significantly expanded our understanding of the human microbiome.
• Human microbiome analysis presents novel applications, particularly in medicine and emerging forensic science.
• Microbial DNA analysis from human samples is an underutilized forensic tool with potential when traditional methods fail.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the forensic applications of human microbiome DNA analysis.
• To identify key biological, technical, and data-related challenges hindering forensic implementation.
• To propose solutions for integrating microbiome analysis into forensic investigations.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on human microbiome research and next-generation sequencing technologies.
• Analysis of existing bioinformatics tools for microbial DNA data.
• Discussion of forensic case scenarios where microbiome analysis could be beneficial.

Main Results:

• Human microbiome DNA analysis shows promise for post-mortem interval estimation, individual identification, and tissue/body fluid identification.
• Significant challenges exist, including biological variability, technical limitations in sample collection and processing, and complex data analysis.
• Future research is needed to standardize methods and validate findings for forensic reliability.

Conclusions:

• The human microbiome holds considerable potential as a forensic biomarker.
• Overcoming current challenges is crucial for the successful adoption of microbiome analysis in forensic science.
• Further targeted research will establish microbiome analysis as a valuable addition to the forensic toolkit.