Michelle’s Method of the Month | Non-destructive extraction of DNA from preserved tissues in medical collections

The Method of the Month for February 2022 by Enrique Rayo, Giada Ferrari and colleagues succeeded in sequencing ancient human mitochondrial DNA from the preserving liquid used to store and preserve samples in historical collections. The authors determined the mitochondrial haplotype assignment from only 1-2 ml of preserving liquid surrounding a sample from the museum collections at the Royal College of Surgeons in London dating from 1760-1886. Inspired by the field of environmental DNA sequencing, the authors also made suggestions to further optimize and refine the technique including collaboration with curators and the importance of access to detailed documentation related...