Microbial disease knowledge is a critical component of microbiology courses and is beneficial for many students' future careers. Microbiology courses traditionally cover core concepts through lectures and labs, but specific instruction on microbial diseases varies greatly depending on the instructor and course. A common project involves students researching and presenting a disease to the class...

Introduction Various Touch DNA sampling techniques have been used at the crime scene and in forensic laboratories worldwide for over a decade [1]. The recent success of using Touch DNA collection methods to obtain DNA profiles from high profile cases including the exoneration of Timothy Masters and the JonBenet Ramsey homicide investigation has created an increased interest in better understand...

In the study presented here, four examples of crime scene fingermarks analysed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI MSI), in collaboration with the local Police Force, are reported. These marks are associated to high profile crimes such as drug dealing, murder and harassment. Following the application of forensic enhancement techniques by the CSI or th...

Analysis of ballistics evidence (spent cartridge casings and bullets) has been a staple of forensic criminal investigation for almost a century. Computer-assisted databases of images of ballistics evidence have been used since the mid-1980s to help search for potential matches between pieces of evidence. In this article, we draw on the 2008 National Research Council Report Ballistic Imaging to ...

On a small hill outside of Grand Junction, CO, the sun beats ondry earth, and humanbodies lie face up amid low sagebrush. Inside each corpse, on it, and beneath it, a rich ecosystem of bacteria, nematodes, and other microbes flourishes. As these tiny forces of nature—constituents of the postmortem microbiome—steadily decompose the remains, scientists document their every move. At Colorado Mesa ...