DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2015.v01i01.006

Pages: Page: 33-40

Application of science in criminal investigation is forensic science. In forensics, findings based on scientific knowledge and technologies are used to serve as witnesses to prove guilt or innocence in criminal and civil matters. It is said that even eye witness may turn hostile, but scientific evidences gathered from the scene of crime after appropriate analysis become solid evidence which does not change with time. Forensic science is an established branch of criminal investigation having several disciplines like forensic chemistry, forensic biology and serology, forensic ballistics, forensic physics, forensic photography and forensic DNA fingerprinting. Microbial forensics is a relatively newly emerging branch which connects microbiology with forensic science, where microbial agents, their origin and their potential effects can be presented as medico legal evidence. It is the interplay of classical microbiology, microbial genomics, phylogenetics and Bioinformatics. The application of microbial forensics is to assist in resolving crimes, with a focus on research and education to facilitate its use in criminal investigations. New technologies, including high throughput DNA sequencing have helped to change many long seeded assumptions about human microbiome. By now the use of microbial forensics is almost negligible but, it has potential and may prove to be concrete if properly investigated. The review presents current status, developments and studies required to make this field vital in forensics