Paleoimmunology

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9973073 SchweitzerPALEOIMMUNOLOGYThis study seeks to address the question "can proteinaceous compounds sufficient to be recognized by antibodies persist in fossils of various ages?" I propose to approach this question from two directions: 1) to test the reactivity of antibodies raised against modern proteins for reactivity against extracts of various fossil specimens, and 2) to use extracts of fossil specimens as immunogens to determine if they are capable of eliciting an immune response in animals. If they are reactive, then these "anti-fossil" antibodies will be tested for cross-reactivity to modern proteins to identify the source proteins in the fossil extracts. These studies will be supplemented with other analytical tests of the fossil specimens, so that more than one line of evidence can be used to support the hypothesis that these molecules arise from the fossils (ie, are endogenous) and not from recent, outside contamination. Finally, if it appears that endogenous biomolecules do persist within fossil tissues, the depositional setting and sediments will be analyzed to seek to identify a correlation between depositional environments and preservation.