Chemical and Physical Signatures for Microbial Forensics

Combining the disciplines of biological, physical and chemical science, microbial forensics has a rapidly rising profile in a world increasingly troubled by the threat of 'biocrime' and 'bioterrorism'. This valuable resource is a major addition to a body of literature reckoned to lack sufficient breadth. It presents a variety of phenotypic and trace signature methodologies associated with cultured microorganisms that, despite being genetically identical, may be characterized by differing cultural environments.

One of the central challenges faced by those working in this field is the sheer diversity of potentially harmful agents, which in themselves total more than 1000 viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoan parasites. Their numerous additional variants render the process of 'fingerprinting' biological agents notoriously difficult, especially when the limitations of genetic analysis are factored in. Attribution of crime is relatively easy through human DNA, but lacking the genetic individuation of humans and animals, microbial forensics has to complement phylogenetic techniques with chemical and physical ones.

In the best case, genetic analysis in the 'biocrime' sector can exclude sources, narrow the population of possible sources and support associations with potential sources. To complement these genetic techniques, chemical and physical methods can be used to compare 'signatures' imparted to microbial samples by environments in which they are grown and processed. Collating a range of microbiological fingerprinting techniques in one volume, and covering everything from statistical analysis to laboratory protocols, this publication furthers the aim of forensic investigators who need robust and legally admissible forensic evidence to present in a courtroom.

Résumé

The anthrax attacks of 2001 brought to light the critical need for advanced microbial forensics techniques. Although significant strides have been made in the rapid identification of pathogenic organisms based on nucleic techniques, comparatively little knowledge has been assembled in an easily accessible volume regarding physical and chemical signatures associated with pathogenic organisms and their production. There is currently a single text devoted to microbial forensics, but this text focuses primarily on the biology, identification, and epidemiology of pathogenic organisms, as well as quality control and handling of evidence. The text pays very little attention to potential chemical and physical signatures associated with the production, transport, and dispersal of microorganisms.

The text proposed here would complement the available text in microbial forensics by presenting state of the art analysis techniques that are currently being used or developed for use in microbial forensics. The text will be written by a collaboration of recognized experts in the rapidly developing field of microbial forensics. In addition to introductory chapters covering the nature of the microbe and constraints of scientific data in the forensic arena, the text will contain specific information on chemical and physical analyses of cellular and extra-cellular components for forensic attribution. Finally, a chapter devoted to data reduction and analysis will serve to add context to the fundamental science to which the bulk of the text will be devoted.

In addition to the law enforcement and intelligence communities, the proposed text will be an invaluable reference for academic, private, and government laboratories, studying the chemistry of microbes, regardless of whether that research is focused in a forensic setting or not.

Contenu
State of Microbial Forensics and Future Directions.- Statistical Foundations and Data Integration for Microbial Forensics.- The Microbe: The Basics of Structure, Morphology, and Physiology as They Relate to Microbial Characterization and Attribution.- Fatty Acids and Lipids.- Carbohydrate Markers of Organism Purity and Growth Environment.- Glycoprotein and Protein Markers for Strain Differentiation and Growth Environment or Media Attribution.- Elemental Signatures for Microbial Forensics.- Stable Isotope Signatures for Microbial Forensics.- Extracellular Signatures as Indicators of Process Methods.- Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic Analysis of Evidence.