Now You Can Identify People Based on the Bacteria They Leave Behind

I was fascinated to read in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the forensic identification using skin bacterial communities. Scientists Noah Fierera and associates at the University of Colorado in Boulder have been able to identify individuals based on the bacteria they leave behind on their computers.

Every individual harbours a mix of microbe that’s different from their neighbors. This has been effectively used by Noah to identify specific individuals. There is a high degree of interindividual variability in the composition of bacterial communities.

Skin-associated bacteria can be readily recovered from surfaces, including computer keys and computer mice.

The signatures can be recovered for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. The scientist say the new discovery introduces a forensics approach that could eventually be used to independently evaluate results obtained using more traditional forensic practices.