Assess DNA and other biological material recovered from Shroud of Turin samples and determine whether the findings could establish the artifact’s age or origin.
Approach:
Samples: Researchers at the University of Padova analyzed 12 specimens from an official collection obtained in 1978; seven yielded enough DNA for sequencing.
Analyses: Under clean-room conditions, they used shotgun sequencing, mitochondrial DNA analysis, metagenomic profiling, bioinformatics, proteomic testing, and radiocarbon dating of two casket threads.
Key Findings:
More than 98% of the short DNA fragments lacked molecular damage patterns generally associated with ancient DNA, and testing found evidence of modern DNA.
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.
Other human mitochondrial variants were detected, but mixed genetic material prevented attribution to an original individual.
The samples contained skin-associated bacteria and proteins, as well as diverse microbial, plant, and animal DNA. Some crop DNA suggested contamination at least partly occurred relatively recently.
Radiocarbon dates from two casket threads aligned with documented repairs in 1534 and 1694; those threads were not used to date the Shroud.
Interpretation:
The researchers concluded that metagenomic testing could not determine whether the Shroud was medieval or approximately 2,000 years old.
Limitations:
The samples reflected handling and environmental exposure, and modern contamination limited their ability to establish the artifact’s age or origin.
The mixed DNA could not be linked to an original individual.
The radiocarbon-dated threads were from the casket and were not used to determine the Shroud’s age.
Surgery and histopathology identified retained silk ligature with chronic inflammation at the site of a rare fistula presenting 3 years following vasectomy.
