Student Find Tuberculosis DNA in Dental Calculus
Soleil Young, an anthropology student in the Renee Crown University Honors Program at Syracuse University in New York, uncovered tuberculosis (TB) DNA in the dental calculus of 100-year-old skeletal remains housed for biological research at the Smithsonian Division of Physical Anthropology in Washington, DC.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PHOTO BY DAVID P. BRODA
Soleil Young, an anthropology student in the Renee Crown University Honors Program at Syracuse University in New York, uncovered tuberculosis (TB) DNA in the dental calculus of 100-year-old skeletal remains housed for biological research at the Smithsonian Division of Physical Anthropology in Washington, DC. TB DNA had never before been isolated from dental biofilm.
Young and her co-investigator, graduate student Alanna Warner-Smith, removed calculus from the remains and isolated a genetic insert in the TB genome. They are currently preparing the results for publication. Young received the Orlin Prize, the highest award for social sciences given by the honors program for her work on the project.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. September 2017;15(9):10.
