Investigative leads and individualization through forensically relevant human commensal microbiome

The advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing technology has facilitated the rapid and explicit analysis of human microbiome. Microbiome analysis from the crime scene provides definitive evidence of human contacts and/or their body fluids. Besides, personalized microbiome is strongly influenced by the geographic, lifestyle, ethnic and other environmental factors. The role of microbiome analysis in the prediction of post-mortem time interval has been widely established. Forensic Microbiome Database has featured a catalogue of varied group of microorganisms in different parts of the body which might provide a crucial piece of evidence in identification of body-fluids. Though the forensically relevant human microbiome analysis faces significant challenges both from technological and data related issues, this field holds significant promise in generating investigative leads and subsequent identification of an individual in the post-DNA profiling era. The proposed chapter describes the various aspects of human microbiome in forensics use and its challenges in its practical application in various forensic scenarios.