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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Robust DNA Isolation and High-throughput Sequencing Library Construction for Herbarium Specimens
Published on: March 8, 2018
Computational analyses of ancient pathogen DNA from herbarium samples: challenges and prospects
Kentaro Yoshida1, Eriko Sasaki2, Sophien Kamoun3
1Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University Kobe, Japan ; The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park Norwich, UK.
Ancient DNA from herbarium specimens, like those from the Irish potato famine, offers insights into past plant diseases. Computational methods are advancing the analysis of fragmented ancient DNA for pathogen genomics.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Paleomicrobiology
- Plant Pathology
Background:
- Ancient DNA sequencing enables the study of historical plant pathogens.
- Herbarium specimens contain valuable genetic material from past plant diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze genomes of the potato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans from 19th-century herbarium samples.
- To explore the potential of herbaria for understanding past epidemics and pathogen dynamics.
- To review computational challenges in ancient DNA analysis from herbarium samples.
Main Methods:
- DNA sequencing of historical Phytophthora infestans samples.
- Application of a linkage method for haplotype reconstruction from fragmented ancient DNA.
Main Results:
- Successfully reconstructed genome sequences from 19th-century herbarium specimens.
- Demonstrated good DNA preservation in herbarium samples.
- Applied a novel method to reconstruct haplotypes from fragmented ancient DNA.
Conclusions:
- Herbaria are a valuable resource for reconstructing past epidemics and pathogen evolution.
- Ancient DNA analysis from herbaria presents unique computational challenges.
- Advancements in computational methods facilitate the study of fragmented ancient genomes.
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