Palaeoproteomics: a revolution in ancient biomolecular studies?

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Proteomics, the study of protein expression in living systems, has been touted the biotechnological revolution to follow on from the study of the genome itself. If the genome is the recipe book, proteins are variously the cooks, the kitchenware and products of the kitchen. Proteomics research has developed hand in hand with analytical techniques which have amongst other advances, increased the speed, resolution and sensitivity of analysis. Ancient proteins are more abundant and generally more robust than ancient DNA. Increases in the speed, resolution and sensitivity of protein analysis, all profit the study of ancient proteins. This proposal seeks to build upon success at MSU and York in the study of ancient bone protein, with three target molecules. Osteocalcin, is robust and abundant, if advances is speed and sample throughput can be harnessed, osteocalcin could be used to discriminate between species (e.g. all domesticates from an archaeological site) even in fragmentary cooked remains - offering a radically different approach to zooarchaeological investigation. Collagen is the most abundant bone protein. We plan to directly sequence human collagen (remarkably this has not yet been done) to establish sites of post-translational modification, and then use this information to see if we can detect evidence of scurvy from 16th - 18th C sailors and whalers. Finally we will use synthetic ligands to try and extract a less abundant, but phylogentically more informative (serum) protein, albumin to help understand early trade in Viking combs.