Harnessing the potential of the environmental microbiome in forensic science

A scientific consortium led by the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police has undertaken to develop a method for DNA analysis of the soil microbiome to be used in forensic investigations. The aim of the project entitled Soil Microbiome Analysis Forensic Tool – SMAFT (http://smaft.eu/), financed by the National Center for Research and Development (DOB-BIO10/03/01/2019), is to develop a new tool that enables the association of a trace in the form of a soil sample with a specific geographical location. The first part of the paper introduces the concept of the microbiome and presents the possibilities of using microbiome DNA analysis in forensic science. In the second part, the stages of the SMAFT project are described in detail, beginning from the collection of soil samples from different sites in Poland across all seasons and isolation of microbiome DNA through massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology-based analysis of isolates and the development of a genetic test containing a set of metagenomic markers allowing for effective individualization of soil samples, up to the creation of an IT system enabling analysis and interpretation of the obtained results, which includes a database of soil microbiome DNA profiles from various locations in Poland.