Bacteria-blow fly interactions: Bridging basic and applied research in forensic entomology

Vertebrate carrion represents important sources of nutrients for many ecosystems. Because of their unpredictable nature, the ability of arthropods to detect, locate, and utilize these resources is critical. Consequently, competition for these resources is fierce. Current research in my laboratory is examining the interactions between arthropods and microbes associated with vertebrate carrion. Data generated allow us determine the mechanisms that regulate arthropod attraction, colonization and succession on these resources. Within a forensic context, these data can also be used to better understand the variation associated with the time from death to colonization of human remains by arthropods resulting in more accurate estimates of the minimum postmortem intervals (mPMI), time since death, of human remains.