Samples are ground into a fine powder and soaked in EDTA, which chelates calcium and dissolves the bone matrix.
Success begins with choosing the right material. The (part of the skull) and tooth cementum are the "gold standards" because their high density protects DNA from environmental leaching. Ancient DNA: Methods and Protocols
To handle chemical damage, researchers may use Uracil-DNA-Glycosylase (UDG) to remove uracil bases, reducing sequencing errors, though this can sometimes shorten already tiny fragments. Samples are ground into a fine powder and
The silica-based extraction method is the industry standard. DNA binds to silica in the presence of high concentrations of chaotic salts, allowing impurities to be washed away before the DNA is eluted into a clean buffer. 4. Library Preparation and Sequencing To handle chemical damage
Once extracted, the DNA must be prepared for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS).