Necrobiomes and Their Effects on Forensic Science

Researchers talk necrobiomes and their effects on forensic science after discovering that our body holds the key for the solution of many mysterious deaths. Based on the experiments they have made, researchers have come to the conclusion that bodies release different types of microbes as they decompose and they are so precise that they can help forensic experts solve murder cases.

Murder investigations have become incredibly accurate due to modern technology. Yet, there are still questions that remain unanswered and biased information that could jeopardize an investigator’s work. Previously, authorities used to rely on the study of the body and the death place to find out more about the murderer.

A new experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado proves our bodies have their own witnesses. These come in the form of small microbes that start appearing the moment a person dies and starts decomposing. The most interesting aspect is the fact that these microbes appear at precise intervals, regardless of the environment where the corpse was kept.

To reach this conclusion, scientists have made a series of tests on their Forensic Science Facility in Southeast Texas. They have placed four corpses on the field, two in the winter and two in the spring to study their decomposition based on the surrounding environment. Researchers regularly analyzed the microbes and bacteria on the corpses for a period of 143 and 82 days, respectively.

During both experiment, investigators could immediately determine the time of death in just 25 days. In both cases, the time of death was narrowed down to a period of two to four days, even if one experiment was conducted in winter, whereas the other one was in spring.

Based on this new data, scientists have concluded that the microbes of our body can tell a lot about the conditions a person died in. In the future, they plan to establish whether these microbes can be used to determine the objects and the persons that the victim interacted with right before death set in.

Many other investigatory paths could arise from this study, according to scientists. They hope they can learn more about murderers, based on their community of bacteria. So far, it has been found that a person develops different types of bacteria, based on the region it lives in. Forensic experts think such information can lead to the identification of evil-doers, including terrorists.

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