Non-destructive extraction of DNA from preserved tissues in medical collections

Museum and medically fixed material are valuable samples for the study of historical soft tissues and represent a pathogen-specific source for retrospective molecular investigations. However, current methods for the molecular analysis are inherently destructive, posing a dilemma between performing a study with the available technology thus damaging the sample - or conserving the material for future investigations. Here we present an unprecedented non-destructive alternative that facilitates the genetic analysis of fixed wet tissues while avoiding tissue damage. We extracted DNA from the fixed tissues as well as their embedding fixative solution, to quantify the DNA that was transferred to the liquid component. Our results prove that human ancient DNA can be retrieved from the fixative material of stored medical specimens and provide new options for the sampling of valuable curated collections. Method summaryWe compared the metagenomic content of historical tissues and their embedding liquid to retrieve DNA from the host and specified pathogens based on the diagnosis of the sample. We applied ancient DNA research techniques, including in-solution hybridization capture with DNA baits for human mitochondrial DNA, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, and Treponema pallidum.