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Using keyboard bacteria as a (not quite) unique ID


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Bacteria have largely stayed out of the forensics game, but with some new research, scientists are seeking to put them into the evidence bag along with human DNA. Researchers have found that the bacteria left on keyboards and mice by users' hands are distinct to individual users, and that it is possible to identify a piece of hardware's primary user simply by swabbing the keyboard or mouse for bacteria. The technique proved effective within the constraints of the experiments, but it's a long way from being ready for forensic use.

Our skin houses large bacterial ecosystems and, even after washing your hands, the bacterial community is restored within a matter of hours. Scientists have suspected for some time that we might leave "trails" of this skin bacteria on things we touch during the course of a day, and more importantly, that the bacteria might be traceable to individuals. It's not that each person has a unique bacterial species, but that their ecosystems contain different mixes of species, each present at different frequencies.

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