Fact-finding with fungi: A scoping review on recent advancements in the role of fungi as evidence in forensic science.

Abstract

Background: Fungi are important decomposers aiding in recycling of organic matter. The use of fungi in forensic settings has grown in popularity in the recent years, due to its diverse applications.

Objective: This scoping review seeks to compile the advances in using fungi as evidence and identify current trends in the workflow of fungal applications in forensic science.

Design: Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases were used to find relevant literature published during the years of 2005-2025. Eighty-one articles were identified as they fit the eligibility criteria of the review.

Result: Fungi growing on a cadaver can aid in identifying the stage of decomposition and approximate estimation of time since death, while alteration of soil fungal community due to decomposition can help in post-burial interval assessment. Fungal spores are effective as trace evidences to locate primary and secondary crime scenes, using either dust or soil, by integrating DNA metabarcoding and statistical approaches. However, fungi can also alter evidence, such as in hair, body fluids and drugs.

Conclusion: Research has established fungi as one of the most robust pieces of evidence. Research should be conducted on refining the methodologies and considering the various factors which can affect fungal growth.