Hidden DNA Complicates Shroud Analysis

Human, microbial, plant, and animal DNA reflected centuries of handling and environmental exposure

Category	Detail
Condition	DNA analysis of the Shroud of Turin and its associated biological material
Key Mechanisms	Modern handling, environmental exposure, and mixed biological material complicated interpretation of DNA recovered from the Shroud samples.
Target Population	Not applicable; the study analyzed historical artifact samples rather than a patient population.
Care Setting	Laboratory analysis of historical material using DNA sequencing, metagenomic profiling, proteomics, and radiocarbon dating.

Researchers analyzed 12 specimens from an official collection obtained in 1978; seven yielded enough DNA for sequencing.
More than 98% of the short DNA fragments lacked molecular damage patterns generally associated with ancient DNA, and testing identified modern DNA contamination.
The predominant mitochondrial lineage matched that of sample collector Pierluigi Baima Bollone; genome-wide analysis linked DNA in three samples to him or a first-degree relative.
Microbial, plant, and animal DNA indicated varied sources, including repeated handling and at least some relatively recent contamination.
The researchers concluded that metagenomic testing could not determine whether the Shroud was medieval or approximately 2,000 years old.

The study used clean-room DNA extraction, shotgun next-generation sequencing, mitochondrial DNA analysis, metagenomic profiling, and bioinformatics to characterize sample DNA.

Sample history, handling, environmental exposure, and modern contamination can complicate molecular analysis of historical material.
Mixed genetic material prevented researchers from linking the DNA to an original individual or determining when it was deposited.

Not applicable; no patients or treatments were studied.

Not applicable; the article reports laboratory analysis of artifact samples, not treatment or prescribing data.

The study used clean-room conditions and a method designed for highly fragmented genetic material.
The researchers assessed contamination and interpreted DNA findings alongside microbial, plant, animal, and proteomic results.
The two radiocarbon-dated linen threads were associated with documented repairs in 1534 and 1694 and were not used to determine the age of the Shroud itself.