“Bugs, Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime”

Microbiologist Dr. Jennifer Gardy of British Columbia’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) works as a sort of disease detective. No wonder then, that like many of us, she’s a big fan of those TV shows where forensic investigators use their scientific skills to solve crimes.

Whatever their mix of fact and fiction these programs often centre on high tech tools and techniques. But the real secret of using science for solving crime may be less about technology and more about the careful observation of the natural world. Partnering the latest technologies with nature’s own detectives produces a powerful combination that is giving law enforcement new and astounding advantages in this high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Bugs, Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime introduces us to some unsung heroes of the forensic sciences. In the field and the lab we follow scientists who are able to read the subtlest evidence and turn nature to righting wrongs. Sometimes these clues are disturbing, sometimes they are surprisingly beautiful. You’d be hard pressed to find a better guide, than Dr. Gardy, to this world where, plants, bones even dust, can be turned into formidable enemies of crime.

Filmmakers Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot, Reel Time Images, produced, directed and wrote this exciting and intriguing documentary that will surprise even faithful viewers of TV’s many forensic programs.

Reel Time Images award winning documentaries include, *Zombies: When the Dead Walk*, and *Silo: Sage of the Andes*. Currently in post-production on another film for CBC’s The Nature of Things. This film follows the journey of two prairie families as they struggle to come to terms with the prospect of a nuclear plant being built right next door to them. Reel Time is also working on film version of Barrie Wilson’s extraordinary book *“How Jesus became Christian”*. *‘Healed!’* a documentary that explores miracle cures, placebo and spontaneous remission and *‘The Numbers Game’* an investigation into how polls, pundits and spin doctors shape our world.