The evolution of the forensic diagnostic landscape: from established toolkit to emerging perspectives in microbiome profiling

Forensic science is the application of scientific principles and methods to support legal decision-making in criminal and civil law. Biosensors could play a very important role in this field. The aim of this review is to analyze the current state of biosensors used in forensic science, with a focus on their technological maturity and practical applicability. The aim is to understand which types of biosensors have been used in forensic field analysis and which are still limited to laboratory studies. We will also focus on new emerging crime scene indicators, such as pathogenic microorganisms, which play an important role in solving complex cases, such as those related to environmental contamination or suspicious deaths. Therefore, an overview of existing technologies is provided and future prospects for the application of biosensors in real-world situations are explored, offering insights into the design of devices that could be easily employed by law enforcement agencies in the field to collect timely and valuable information for solving forensic cases.