Discovering the Secrets of Ancient Plants: Recovery of DNA from Museum and Archaeological Plant Specimens

Plant DNA preserved in ancient specimens has recently gained importance as a tool in comparative genomics, allowing the investigation of evolutionary processes in plant genomes through time. However, recovering the genomic information contained in such specimens is challenging owing to the presence of secondary substances that limit DNA retrieval.

Citation:
Estrada O, Richards SM, Breen J. Discovering the Secrets of Ancient Plants: Recovery of DNA from Museum and Archaeological Plant Specimens. Methods in Molecular Biology: Humana Press Inc.; 2022. p. 261-7.

Keywords:
Ancient plant DNA; DNA extraction; Herbarium; Paleogenomics; Plant genetics; Seed DNA extraction

Abstract:
Plant DNA preserved in ancient specimens has recently gained importance as a tool in comparative genomics, allowing the investigation of evolutionary processes in plant genomes through time. However, recovering the genomic information contained in such specimens is challenging owing to the presence of secondary substances that limit DNA retrieval.