DNA from the Shroud of Turin and found signs of centuries of human contact

Scientists used PCR-free next-generation metagenomic sequencing on the official 1978 Shroud of Turin sample collection, finding multiple human mitochondrial DNA lineages and a diverse microbiome.

The study detected DNA from cultivated plants (wheat, carrots, corn, bananas, peanuts), domesticated animals (cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats), and Mediterranean red coral, indicating centuries of human contact.

Researchers, including Professor Noemi Procopio of the University of Lancashire, state the findings do not confirm the shroud's age or authenticity due to accumulated biological material.

The study was published in Scientific Reports, titled 'DNA signatures preserved in the official 1978 sample collection of the Shroud of Turin.'