In a clean-room laboratory dedicated to ancient DNA analysis, an osteological sample is treated to degrade contaminating DNA. Subsequently, a sample is taken and used for DNA extraction. Extracted DNA is used for preparation of DNA sequencing libraries. Quality control is performed on DNA libraries before initiation of DNA sequencing, and on DNA data following completion of DNA sequencing. DNA data is mapped to a reference genome, if available. Mapped DNA data is used to indicate if DNA is ancient by determining damage patterns. Analysis is performed to investigate if contaminating DNA is present in the material, by investigating mitchondrial or nuclear DNA sequences.
Potential Results
The analysis will provide information of DNA content of the sample, amount of DNA that maps to a reference genome (e.g. human), and indicate if the DNA analyzed is ancient or not. If sufficient data is generated species, sex, maternal ancestry (mitochondrial haplotype) and paternal ancestry (Y-chromosome haplotype) can be determined. If several samples are analyzed, close kinship between sampled individuals can be investigated (primarily first and second degree kinship). Upon request, DNA data can be delivered for further analysis of e.g. ancestry and traits of the individual.