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Pollen detective: Forensics’ secret weapon

Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a forensic ecologist and botanist who uses microscopic traces of pollen and spores to solve some of the UK’s most serious crimes.

Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a leading forensic ecologist and botanist. For the last 25 years she has helped solve some of the UK’s most serious crimes including a number of the country's most high-profile murder cases. To do this she uses her vast knowledge of plant science, finding clues to the crimes in microscopic grains of pollen and spores. She’s written a book called Traces: Every body leaves a mark. This episode was first broadcast on 3rd August 2019.

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder

Image: pollen under high-powered photomicrographic magnification
Credit: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 28 Nov 202122:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 27 Nov 202109:32GMT
  • Sun 28 Nov 202100:32GMT
  • Sun 28 Nov 202109:32GMT
  • Sun 28 Nov 202122:32GMT

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