Oral Microbial Identity: A Potential Tool for Forensic Science

Abstract

Microbial forensics is a feld that uses scientifc methods to analyze the evidence of bioterrorism, bio crimes, hoaxes, or the unintentional release of a biological agent or microbial toxin to determine who is to blame. It is now possible to characterize microorganisms for various human forensic applications, including human identifcation, body fluid characterization, postmortem interval estimation, and bio crimes involving the tracking of infectious agents. Big applause to technological advancements, remarkably massively parallel sequencing and bioinformatics. The oral microbiome contains microbiota markers that vary between individuals, emphasizing the possibility that it is highly individualized and perhaps even particular to each person. As a result, the oral microbial evidence found at crime scenes may lead to new information. This comprehensive review will discuss the state of the art of using the oral microbiome as a signature to conclude in the forensics sector.