Applied Microbiology and Beneficial Microbes

Pale microbiology, Archaeomicrobiology & Microbial Forensics

Paleomicrobiology – Past Human Infections' features the approaches and main attainments in this emerging field of research at the intersection of microbiology and evolution, history and anthropology. New molecular approaches have already provided exciting results, such as confirmation of a single biotype of Yersinia pestis as the causative agent of historical plague pandemics, and the closer proximity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from ancient skeletons to modern strains than to Mycobacterium bovis, shedding new light on the evolution of major human pathogens and pathogen–population relationships. Firm microbiological diagnoses also provide historians and anthropologists with new data on which to base evaluation of past epidemics.

Microbial forensics states to the exploration of the use of bioweapon, and the accidental release or natural development of dangerous microorganisms. The span may also comprise the study of a person’s specific Microbiome for means of identification, the location of a crime and the time of death of an individual based on the progress of the Microbiome during decomposition.