'Soil'ent witness: using grave soil microbial communities to aid forensic investigations

Watson, P ORCID: 0000-0002-1457-1520 and Ralebitso-Senior, TK ORCID: 0000-0002-2404-0993 (2026) 'Soil'ent witness: using grave soil microbial communities to aid forensic investigations. The Biochemist, 48 (3). pp. 3-6. ISSN 0954-982X

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Abstract

After death, the human body becomes an active microbial ecosystem, undergoing a predictable succession that offers valuable clues for forensic investigation. This post-mortem shift, known as the thanatomicrobiome, unfolds as endogenous microbes migrate, proliferate, and respond to changing conditions within the cadaver. In a terrestrial environment, cadaveric fluids and microbial communities seep into the surrounding soil, forming a cadaver decomposition island that reshapes local chemistry and biodiversity. These interactions create the necrobiome—a dynamic ecological network whose temporal patterns can help estimate the post-mortem interval or time since death. Yet decomposition is profoundly influenced by temperature, moisture, soil type, insect activity, and other environmental factors, making standardisation a major challenge. As sequencing technologies advance and interdisciplinary research expands, decoding the post-mortem necrobiome and grave-soil microbiology offers a promising complement to the current forensic toolkit.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology; 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
Subjects:	Q Science > QD Chemistry Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Divisions:	Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Publisher:	Portland Press Ltd
Date of acceptance:	2 June 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	3 July 2026
Date Deposited:	03 Jul 2026 15:15
Last Modified:	03 Jul 2026 15:32
DOI or ID number:	10.1042/bio2026211
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28945

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