Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics
Protein power
Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a relative newcomer to the field and is capable of providing a thorough and very detailed characterization of any protein residues present in a given sample, as well as any accumulated damage. The technique is so sensitive that less sample material is needed compared to other methods. And unlike, say, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, it’s also capable of characterizing all proteins present in a sample (regardless of the complexity of the mixture), rather than being narrowly targeted to predefined proteins.
In 2023, scientists used this approach to discover that beer byproducts were popular canvas primers for artists of the Danish Golden Age. And earlier this year, we reported on the identification of proteins from fingerprints of Renaissance people rifling through the pages of medical manuals, revealing more about how people constructed hands-on knowledge in that period.
For this latest study, the authors took tiny samples...
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