Microbial Forensics and Bioterrorism: Review of challenges, Investigation, and Future Directions

This review describes how the field of microbial forensic can contribute in investigation by examining and characterizing microbial evidences. Analysis of microbial evidence to assist in accreditation of the bioagent to a source and reconstruction of the crime scene. Bioterrorism is intentional dispersal of bio-warfare agents in a population to cause illness or death. This review includes microbial forensic techniques, including DNA-based methods. Additionally, it describes the applications in microbial forensics in; identification of source and tracking, crime scene reconstruction, bio safety and biosecurity measures. This aims to provide a detailed understanding, of microbial forensics and its application in combating bioterrorism.