Through DNA analysis, USF researchers will trace the evolution of genetics in individuals who died in quarantine during the 13th century Black Death plague, helping determine the effectiveness of containment measures, such as isolation and masks.
TAMPA, Fla. (July 13, 2023) – Italian officials have provided an interdisciplinary group of researchers from the University of South Florida access to the remains of individuals who died from the Black Death, a plague that killed millions of people in the 13th century, to help determine the effectiveness of quarantines.
The team from the USF Institute for the Advanced Study of Culture and the Environment is extracting DNA from the teeth of 900 skeletons excavated from the Old Lazzaretto, an island off the coast of Italy where officials built the world’s first isolation hospital in 1423.
“This is the first time that we could have a set of DNA sequences of pathogens present at a single location, and in parallel, DNA changes in the local populations,” said Robert Tykot, professor of anthropology. “Thus, we can study for the first time, the co-evolution of pathogens and humans, unhindered by the fast mutations of modern viruses or the presence of vaccinated people.”
USF visiting research fellow and Venice native Andrea Vianello is coordinating the project with preservation groups to develop the site’s first genetic database, allowing them to trace the evolution of pathogens and humans over the span of 300 years to determine if the introduction of containment measures, such as masks and isolation, impacted genetics.
“The Venetians invented lockdowns and masks to address pandemics and they seemed to work,” Vianello said. “Our project will test scientifically their effectiveness, before vaccines and medicines existed. We will see if any epidemics were stopped by the quarantine island.”
The team launched the historical plagues research effort earlier this year when they began tracking Justinianic, the world’s first plague to strike during the previous millennium, at a mass burial site in Jerash, Jordan. Tykot and Vianello organized an international conference at the Scuola Grande di San Marco in June to present their findings from Jordan and explain the importance of understanding past pandemics to address and manage current and future outbreaks.
Lead geneticist Rays Jiang, associate professor in the USF College of Public Health, helped identify bacterium of the plague in Jordan and is excited to expand their research, describing the Old Lazzaretto, a World Heritage Site, as a time capsule and treasure trove for the field of genetics.
The findings from this project will be displayed in a permanent exhibit at the new National Archaeological Museum of the Venetian Lagoon in Italy, expected to open in about five years.
To view the full feature story on the USF Newsroom website, click here.
For photos, click here.
###
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. With campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF serves approximately 50,000 students who represent nearly 150 different countries. For four consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities, including USF’s highest ranking ever in 2023 (No. 42). In 2023, USF became the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group of the leading universities in the United States and Canada. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year and as one of top universities in the world for securing new patents, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.