Crimes committed under microscope

Published March 25, 2010 4:00am ET



Who knew that the one time you checked Facebook to stalk on your ex at your friend’s house had you leaving a telltale bacterial trail behind you?

Although it may sound far-fetched, the bacterial DNA that resides on human skin may someday be used for legal evidence in the courtroom. In a paper published online on March 15, Noah Fierer and his team at the University of Colorado, Boulder, revealed that the microbes on people’s fingers and hands leave a trail distinctive enough to identify who touched a particular object.

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