Authentication of aDNA analysis

In this section, we summarized our efforts for making aDNA work much authentic during the entire procedure from archaeological field to wet lab works. Please follow the links below.

Our Works in Archaeological Fields
We believe that most of debates on authenticity of aDNA work must have been settled if biologists and archaeologists could have collaborated to minimize the possible modern DNA contamination of samples in every procedure from archaeological fields to aDNA lab....,

Criteria of Authentication
There are many viewpoints on the Criteria of Authentication, espically about the needs of such Criteria in aDNA lab works. Someone think that it is really needed for authentic aDNA work; the others say this is just formalities, not needed for researchers. I do not want to make a comment on whether the Criteria is really helpful for authenticating our aDNA results or not. What we want to care about is making our aDNA results without possibility of contamination as possibly as we can. If we could guarantee the authenticity of our aDNA work just by following the Criteria, why shouldn't we do it? We have followed, and will follow this Criteria  until another persuasive way for making aDNA work much authentic could be discussed among related researchers.

Lab Setting
After the samples were moved to our lab, we should perform aDNA works in a lab, following Criteria of Authentication, which have been suggested by a number of aDNA researchers. Among them, we explain our lab setting for authentic aDNA work.

IRB Approval of Our aDNA Work
During our aDNA work, it has been needed that sequences or profiles from ancient samples should be compared to those of participants in our study. This is indispensable to show if any modern DNA contamination from researchers was occuring during aDNA work. We got IRB certification on genetic analysis of participants in our studies.

Arrangement of Labs

I have run my own lab for the past 10 years. Therefore, conventional setup for biological experiments is already available in my lab, i.e., microscopic observation, immunohistological studies, in situ hybridization, PCR, and Western or Norther blots. Sequencing is also available in IFM where a number of sequencers are in full operation. aDNA works are done on human mtDNA, autosomal STR and Y STR in my lab. PCRs for ancient parasite, viral or bacterial could be also performed. Though it might be too crampled for comport experiments, the instruments or reagents in my lab are arraned for effective experiment on ancient samples.

One of the most crucial points in our lab setting is making them fit for aDNA analysis, by following the Criteria of Authentication (Hofreiter et al. 2001, Marota & Rollo 2002, Willerslev & Cooper 2005). Briefly, the distance between aDNA extraction or PCR preparation rooms of Building A and main PCR lab in Building B is about 60 meters. On 4th floor in Building A, there is not any lab performing PCR amplification of modern DNA. The rooms for aDNA extraction or PCR preparation were separated from our main lab where we did PCR works. The rooms were equipped with night UV irradiation, isolated ventilation, or laminated flow hood. The researchers in our lab should follow instructions in Criteria of Authenticity (Hofreiter et al. 2001, Marota & Rollo 2002, Willerslev & Cooper, 2005). None could enter into aDNA extraction or PCR preparation rooms without permission.