Microbes may be a forensic tool for time of death

The research also suggests that the microbial succession on a cadaver operates similarly to the colonization that occurs in plant communities, where “at first, weedy species thrive — they scoop up the easy-to-eat stuff,” says DeBruyn. In the decomposing gut, it appears that fast-growing microbes initially dominate, chowing down on the suddenly available smorgasbord of glucose, small carbohydrates and proteins. Then slower-growing critters that invest time digesting complex molecules that are energetically expensive to consume move in, akin to the colonization of a field by shrubs and then long-lived trees.

It’s fitting that the microbial succession of a dead body echoes the ecological succession of Earth’s larger biomes. And in a recent review article documenting the history of the notion of succession, scholars argue that the forensic science community and ecology research community could benefit greatly from cross-pollination efforts, like DeBruyn’s. One noted stumbling block: ecologists are typically looking forward in time, trying to predict future change, while forensic scientists are looking back in time, trying to predict time of death. Perhaps it’s time they start working together.