From Clay to Code

Microbes have long been controlled with bioactive chemicals, but this has contributed to rising threats such as antimicrobial resistance. While microbes naturally adapt—often to our disadvantage—these adaptations can also inform new strategies against microbial threats. By analyzing ancient microbes preserved in archaeological ceramics and comparing their genomes to modern relatives, we can uncover how human activities have shaped microbial evolution over time.

This project aims to establish a scientific foundation for investigating viable ancient bacteria recovered from archaeological ceramics. Building on our developed method for reviving dormant microbial cells, we will determine the evolutionary trajectories of the isolated taxa. The generated knowledge will provide the basis for subsequent analyses of ancient microbiomes and experimental validation of microbial adaptation mechanisms over time.