A database and search algorithms that will form the memory of the SHUTTLE toolkit. This database will contain the data (raw, processed or both) acquired by the microscope and processed by the image processing algorithms. The database structure is made in such a way that the data acquired by the SHUTTLE toolkit can be related to data acquired by other techniques. To achieve this, it is possible to add into the database parts that contain data from e.g. FTIR, MSP, dye analysis, etc. The database contains a robust back-end and a user-friendly front-end. The front-end should have the same look and feel as (or even be integrated with) those for instrument and the image processing routines. The database will focus on experimental data and will (as is currently foreseen) not contain case information (such as case identifiers, names of suspects and victims) to prevent security and privacy issues. The search algorithms should allow searches for similar samples in the database. The search algorithms yield numbers or probabilities that can be used to calculate the evidential value of a result, e.g. using Bayesian statistics.