Microbial Forensics, Third Edition, serves as a complete reference on the discipline, describing the advances, challenges and opportunities that are integral in applying science to help solve future biocrimes. New chapters include: Microbial Source Tracking, Clinical Recognition, Bioinformatics, and Quality Assurance. This book is intended for a wide audience, but will be indispensable to forensic scientists and researchers interested in contributing to the growing field of microbial forensics. Biologists and microbiologists, the legal and judicial system, and the international community involved with Biological Weapons Treaties will also find this volume invaluable.

Table of Contents:
1. The Kameido anthrax incident: a microbial forensic case study ARNOLD F. KAUFMANN AND PAUL KEIM 2. The FBI’s Amerithrax Task Force and the advent of microbial forensics R. SCOTT DECKER AND TERRY L. KERNS 3. Microbial forensic investigation of the anthrax letter attacks: how the investigation would differ using today’s technologies PAUL J. JACKSON 4. Foodborne outbreaks E.W. BROWN AND M.W. ALLARD 5. Forensic plant pathology JACQUELINE FLETCHER, NEEL G. BARNABY, JAMES BURANS, ULRICH MELCHER, DOUGLAS G. LUSTER, FORREST W. NUTTER, JR., HARALD SCHERM, DAVID G. SCHMALE, III, CARLA S. THOMAS, AND FRANCISCO M. OCHOA CORONA 6. Microbial source tracking: characterization of human fecal pollution in environmental waters with HF183 quantitative real-time PCR ORIN C. SHANKS AND ASJA KORAJKIC 7. Influenza forensics ANGELA CHOI AND ADOLFO GARCÍA-SASTRE 8. Forensic public health: epidemiological and microbiological investigations for biosecurity ALI S. KHAN, PHILIP S. AMARA, AND STEPHEN A. MORSE 9. Forensic analysis in bacterial pathogens PAUL KEIM, JASON W. SAHL, TALIMA PEARSON, AMY VOGLER, CHARLES H. WILLIAMSON, DAWN BIRDSELL, RICHARD T. OKINAKA, JEFFREY T. FOSTER, AND DAVID M. WAGNER 10. Genomic epidemiology and forensics of fungal pathogens DAVID M. ENGELTHALER AND ANASTASIA P. LITVINTSEVA 11. Forensic human identification using skin microbiome genetic signatures SARAH E. SCHMEDES, AUGUST WOERNER, AND BRUCE BUDOWLE 12. Using microbiome tools for estimating the postmortem interval HEATHER DEEL, SIBYL BUCHELI, AERIEL BELK, SAM OGDEN, AARON LYNNE, DAVID O. CARTER, ROB KNIGHT, AND JESSICA L. METCALF 13. Select methods for microbial forensic nucleic acid analysis of trace and uncultivable specimens RACHEL E. KIESER AND BRUCE BUDOWLE 14. The use of host factors in microbial forensics STEVEN E. SCHUTZER 15. Toxin analysis using mass spectrometry THOMAS A. BLAKE, SUZANNE R. KALB, RUDOLPH C. JOHNSON, AND JOHN R. BARR 16. Ricin forensics: comparisons to microbial forensics JEFFREY T. FOSTER, ROBERT L. BULL, AND PAUL KEIM 17. Proteomics for bioforensics ERIC D. MERKLEY, BROOKE L. DEATHERAGE KAISER, DAVID S. WUNSCHEL, AND KAREN L. WAHL 18. Rapid bacterial typing in the postgenomic era: developments in computational methods HECTOR F. ESPITIA-NAVARRO, LAVANYA RISHISHWAR, LEONARD W. MAYER, AND I. KING JORDAN 19. Genomics TOM SLEZAK, JONATHAN ALLEN, AND CRYSTAL JAING 20. Design of genomic signatures for pathogen identification and characterization TOM SLEZAK, BRADLEY HART, AND CRYSTAL JAING 21. Collection and preservation of microbial forensic samples JENIFER A.L. SMITH 22. Assessment of the threat JENIFER A.L. SMITH AND DAVID R. HODGE 23. Scientific testimonial standards for microbial forensic evidence STEPHAN P. VELSKO 24. Inferential validation and evidence interpretation STEPHAN P. VELSKO 25. Microbial forensic investigations in the context of bacterial population genetics PAUL KEIM, TALIMA PEARSON, BRUCE BUDOWLE, MARK WILSON, AND DAVID M. WAGNER 26. Use of microbial forensics data in scientific, legal, and policy contexts CHRISTOPHER A. BIDWELL AND RANDALL MURCH 27. Lessons for expert witnesses STEPHEN A. SALTZBURG 28. Select agent regulations STEPHEN A. MORSE AND BERNARD R. QUIGLEY 29. Biorepositories and their foundation FRANK P. SIMIONE, RICHARD R. VINES, AND TED D. MULLINS 30. The National Bioforensic Analysis Center JAMES BURANS, JENNIFER S. GOODRICH, ROBERT L. BULL, AND NICHOLAS H. BERGMAN 31. An international microbial forensics research strategy and its collaborative pursuit is needed RANDALL MURCH AND BRUCE BUDOWLE 32. Education and training in microbial forensics STEVEN B. LEE, DEETTA K. MILLS, STEPHEN A. MORSE, STEVEN E. SCHUTZER, BRUCE BUDOWLE, AND PAUL KEIM 33. Microbial forensics: what next? STEPHEN A. MORSE, BRUCE BUDOWLE, AND STEVEN E. SCHUTZER