Recent environmental, anthropological and ecological research has demonstrated that ancient DNA (aDNA) can be preserved in sediments over long timescales of up to a million years. Its extraction and analysis has revolutionized our understanding of topics such as the composition of ancient microbiomes, the evolution of pathogens, and human evolution.
To develop a deeper mechanistic understanding of the long-term survival of DNA polymers in the environment, the current project aims to explore the role of physicochemical properties of minerals and DNA, along with the biogeochemistry of environments (e.g., enzymatic activity) in controlling the adsorptive protection of aDNA. We hypothesize that the molecular scale reactivity and topography of minerals have a key influence on the long-term fate of aDNA in sediments and soils. This project is a part of a collaborative research platform, MINERVA (Mineralogical Preservation of the Human Biome from the Depth of Time), funded by the University of Vienna. This work will not only improve our understanding of the fate of biopolymers like DNA in near-surface environments but will also help selecting sites and sediment types for sample collection based on their mineralogical assemblages and environmental settings, having a high probability of aDNA preservation.
