Forensic entomology molecular informatics: Current concepts, trends, and challenges

Insect evidence provides a special perspective and direction for forensic scientists, especially in the investigation of some cases of unnatural death, unmonitored, and highly corrupt cadaver. However, many studies of traditional forensic entomology still remains in superficial observation and simple statistical analysis, the field is almost completely lacking in empirical validation studies, and which raises doubts about the stability and accuracy of entomological evidences in actual cases, and severely limits the widespread use of insect evidence in forensic science. With the rapid development of forensic, entomology, life sciences, and other related disciplines, as a cross-applied discipline, we need to propose new innovation theories, try to find solutions at the molecular information level, so as to make up for the disadvantages of the traditional forensic entomology. We summarized and proposed the concept of "Forensic entomology molecular informatics"for the first time, which utilizes multi-omics techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics, microbiomics, and metabolomics, combined with other molecular biology, spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, and other disciplinary technologies for cross-integration, through a comprehensive and systematic analysis of biological, physical, chemical, ecological and other molecular information contained in forensic science related insects, provides clues, help and evidence, for the postmortem interval, place of death, cause of death, crime scene information, neglect and abuse, national biological security, urban and stored product entomology, etc, improves the evidence effect of insect in court investigation and trial, and expands the value and scope of application of insect evidence in forensic science.