Microbiome Variation Across Scales
My name is Alexa Young
Projects In this Space
Artifacts as recorders of history
Using next-generation sequencing, we have characterized DNA recovered from a range of cultural artifacts, including gloves and paintings, to infer information about their handlers and the environments in which they were used. This work is particularly compelling because it requires reconstructing biological signals from highly degraded DNA, drawing on analytical approaches developed in ancient DNA research. Several manuscripts from this work are currently in preparation, and we look forward to sharing these findings in the near future.
​
See our commentary in Richard Stone Science article "Art historians turn to biology" for a purview of our work in this space
Can art really motivate people to help save the planet?
As part of the non-profit Creature Conserve, we ask how far art can go in motivating change, particularly in the conservation of species. Put simply: Can art save species from extinction? It is a complicated question, since it is difficult to translate feelings into numbers or turn art into measurable outcomes. Yet the challenge is precisely what makes the effort worthwhile — and we will try.
​
Upcoming workshops:
​
Conserving the Invisible Organ: Can art help with conserving the microbiome?
​