Forensic microbiology applications: A systematic review.

Leg Med (Tokyo)

Legal Medicine Section - Department for Health Promotion and Mother-Child Care, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129, 90127, Italy. Electronic address:

Published: February 2019

According to the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), a healthy human body contains ten times more microbes than human cells. Microbial communities colonize different organs of the body, playing fundamental roles both in human health and disease. Despite the vast scientific knowledge of the role of microbial communities in a living body, little is known at present about microbial changes occurring after death, thus leading many authors to investigate the composition of the thanatomicrobiome and its potential applications in the forensic field. The aim of the following review is to provide a general overview of the advances of postmortem microbiology research, mainly focusing on the role of microbiological investigations carried out on internal organs and fluids. To this end, a total of 19 studies have been sistematically reviewed, each one chosen according to specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. The selected studies assess the contribution of contamination, postmortem transmigration and agonal spread to microbial isolation from dead body samples, and shed light on the role of postmortem microbiological investigations in several forensic fields, such as cause of death or PMI determination.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2018.11.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

microbial communities
8
microbiological investigations
8
forensic microbiology
4
microbiology applications
4
applications systematic
4
systematic review
4
human
4
review human
4
human microbiome
4
microbiome project
4

Similar Publications

Forest Soil pH and Dissolved Organic Matter Aromaticity Are Distinct Drivers for Soil Microbial Community and Carbon Metabolism Potential.

Microb Ecol

January 2025

State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, China.

The ecological niche separation of microbial interactions in forest ecosystems is critical to maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity and has yet to be comprehensively explored in microbial ecology. This study investigated the impacts of soil properties on microbial interactions and carbon metabolism potential in forest soils across 67 sites in China. Using redundancy analysis and random forest models, we identified soil pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM) aromaticity as the primary drivers of microbial interactions, representing abiotic conditions and resource niches, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Role of the gut microbiome in psychological symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Semin Immunopathol

January 2025

Department of Medicine II, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.

The brain-gut axis constitutes the basis for the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract driven by neural, hormonal, metabolic, immunological, and microbial signals. Alterations in the gut microbiome composition as observed in inflammatory bowel diseases can modulate brain function and emerging empirical evidence has indicated that interactions among the brain-gut microbiome-axis seem to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of both inflammatory bowel diseases and psychiatric disorders and their comorbidity. Yet, the immunological and molecular mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of inflammatory bowel diseases and psychological symptoms are still poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

[The intestinal microbiota in inflammatory bowel diseases].

Inn Med (Heidelb)

January 2025

Lehrstuhl für Ernährung und Immunologie, School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Deutschland.

Background: The intestinal microbiota comprises all living microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract and is crucial for its function. Clinical observations and laboratory findings confirm a central role of the microbiota in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, many mechanistic details remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The marine microbiome arouses an increasing interest, aimed at better understanding coral reef biodiversity, coral resilience, and identifying bioindicators of ecosystem health. The present study is a microbiome mining of three environmentally contrasted sites along the Hermitage fringing reef of La Réunion Island (Western Indian Ocean). This mining aims to identify bioindicators of reef health to assist managers in preserving the fringing reefs of La Réunion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Impact of pollution on microbiological dynamics in the pistil stigmas of Orobanche lutea flowers (Orobanchaceae).

Sci Rep

January 2025

Center for Research and Conservation of Biodiversity, Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Biology, Jan Kochanowski University, Uniwersytecka 7, 25-406, Kielce, Poland.

Our understanding of the basic relationships of microbiota associated with flowers is still quite limited, especially regarding parasitic plant species. The transient nature of flower parts such as pistil stigmas provides a unique opportunity for temporal investigations. This is the first report of the analysis of bacterial and fungal communities associated with the pistil stigmas of the lucerne parasite, Orobanche lutea.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!