"Science and technology are used to serve as independent ‘witnesses’ in criminal or civil matters, intelligence, and policy” as stated in Murch's presentation, 2013. Despite sharing ancient roots, modern biotechnology mainly started forming ties in the late 19th and early 20th century. Before that, forensic science mainly relied on traditional methods of investigation, limiting the ability to solve some crucial cases. Biotechnology plays a crucial role in uncovering details and clues that help solve a majority of cases. It improves investigations in identifying criminals, exonerating innocents, and uncovering critical evidence in criminal investigations. Nowadays, prints of biotechnology can be seen in every case, from plane crashes to murders. Forensic biotechnology mainly revolves around DNA profiling, serology and microbial forensics.

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DNA profiling, also known as DNA fingerprinting, is the primary process for identifying the deceased. This method is used to identify individuals using the samples of their DNA. It is frequently employed in paternity examinations and victim identification when the body is disoriented. It was initially applied in the 1986–1987 Pitchfork Murder Case. In this case, it was the development of DNA profiling that prevented the innocent from being framed. According to traditional investigation, the murderer was Richard Backland and was arrested for his crimes. It was only when a second murder occurred and the police found that the two murders were connected due to the DNA present in it was the actual murderer, Colin Pitchfork accused. Over the years, DNA profiling has become the centre of the forensic toolkit.

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Today, DNA testing is more efficient as a result of emerging technologies. The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) offers a more comprehensive analysis of the genetic material by targeting the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA rather than the traditional short tandem repeats (STR) analysis. It has a diverse capability of analysing a variety of genetic material while saving time and assets for forming comprehensive models. It is utilised for analysing samples with poor DNA quality and quantity, mitochondrial DNA analysis and ancestry and phenotypic predictions. Another technology that is revolutionising DNA profiling is 3D Genomics and Spatial DNA analysis. This technology makes it feasible to investigate how the 3D DNA is organised within the cell. It is primarily employed to determine the history of denatured or old DNA material. In circumstances involving skeletal remains, archaeological discoveries, or evidence subjected to harsh environments, it is especially significant. Supporting tools such as DNA extraction kits, PCR machines, and gel electrophoresis systems all help make DNA profiling more accurate and efficient.

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Serology, in the field of forensic biotechnology, is the detection of various body fluids like semen, perspiration, blood, and faecal matter, classification and their relationship to a crime scene. It is mainly utilised in cases of sexual assault. It aids in understanding the events that occurred before the crime. Among the various fluids, the most commonly found fluid samples are blood, semen and saliva at the crime site. Traditional technologies, which were used in the identification of body fluids, were destructive. Recent technology has evolved towards spectroscopy, mainly Raman spectroscopy. It is utilised to identify bodily fluids separately or in combination. For instance, the usage of Raman spectroscopy on salivary samples allows scientists to identify the age, gender and certain parts of their lifestyle, mainly whether the person smokes or not. Other key tools in forensic serology include ELISA tests, precipitin tests, and immunoelectrophoresis, which help identify and classify different fluids.

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Microbial forensics is a sub-branch of forensic which analyses forms of bioterrorism, bio-crime, hoax, or inadvertent microorganism/toxin release for attribution purposes. It often overlaps with public health, as most cases in this sub-branch are disease outbreaks. It aids in determining whether the outbreak was intentional, accidental or natural. Detection methods in microbial forensics include culture, microscopy, immunoassays, mass spectrometry, real-time PCR, microarray, genetic typing, and whole-genome sequencing. As traditional microbial cultures have low yield, recent technologies such as convolutional neural network (CNN) models have been developed to improve the accuracy of forensic prognosis using object detection techniques in microorganism image analysis. It identifies and classifies the microorganisms with greater speed, reducing the labour and time needed for the forensic analysis. Some supporting techniques and tests include pathogenicity arrays, to detect the virulence of the organism, mass spectroscopy, electron microscopy and isotope analysis.

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To sum up, the development of biotechnology has greatly changed forensic science by providing instruments that are much beyond conventional investigation techniques. Modern biotechnology, from the accuracy of DNA profiling to the in-depth analysis offered by serology and microbial forensics, has reinforced the basis of criminal investigations and aided in the quicker and more accurate resolution of complicated cases. Examples of how the area has advanced in improving evidence processing and lowering investigative mistakes include Next-Generation Sequencing, 3D Genomics, Raman spectroscopy, and convolutional neural networks. As forensic biotechnology develops further, it not only strengthens the criminal justice system's dependability and integrity but also enhances our capacity to find offenders and clear innocent people.