Forensic science is the identification, collection, preservation, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence that is relevant to a criminal act or process of interest. Forensic science and its component disciplines often provide crucial information on aspects of a crime beyond what can be derived by traditional means of investigation and intelligence gathering. For example, the advent of DNA technology enabled the forensic community to analyze biological material found at crime scenes to precisely determine the source. The threat of attack by a biological weapon will likely make microbial forensics the next major focus in forensic biology.