News Link--New detection method discovered lung infection in Incan mummy

Just a drive-by post. According to Science Daily:

Detecting diseases in ancient remains is often fraught with difficulty, especially because of contamination. Techniques based on microbe DNA can easily be confused by environmental contamination, and they can only confirm that the pathogen was present, not that the person was infected, but the researchers behind the study, led by Angelique Corthals of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, found a way around this problem. They used proteomics, focusing on protein rather than DNA remains, to profile immune system response from degraded samples taken from 500 year-old mummies.

The team swabbed the lips of two Andean Inca mummies, buried at 22,000-feet elevation and originally discovered in 1999, and compared the proteins they found to large databases of the human genome. They found that the protein profile from the mummy of a 15-year old girl, called "The Maiden," was similar to that of chronic respiratory infection patients, and the analysis of the DNA showed the presence of probably pathogenic bacteria in the genus Mycobacterium, responsible for upper respiratory tract infections and tuberculosis. In addition, X-rays of the lungs of the Maiden showed signs of lung infection at the time of death. Proteomics, DNA, and x-rays from another mummy found together with the Maiden did not show signs of respiratory infection.

The full report can be read here.

Link—Iceman Photoscan

I don't live in Italy.  This is upsetting to me for many reasons—their accents are way cooler for one—but it also prevents me from getting to traipse up to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology whenever I want to take a gander at Ötzi the Iceman.  And I can barely afford a plane ticket to go across the country let alone across the ocean, so I probably won't be going there any time soon.  But losers like me are in luck!  There is a website that allows you to get up close and personal (perhaps a little too personal for some parts) with the mummified body of the Iceman: http://www.icemanphotoscan.eu/.

This site allows you to zoom in and see every inch of him up close (if you've been dying to know what his toes look like when your face is shoved into them, this is your chance).  It also has an option to view his tattoos under UV light as well as a 3D viewing of the mummy, but since I don't have 3D glasses I wasn't able to test that out.  The best part is that it's free!  Here's part of the intro page explaining the project: 

This project represents a significant scientific contribution to the study and dissemination of knowledge on the oldest wet and natural mummy in the world. The current preservation conditions of the mummy prevent the wider public from getting close to it. This project, however, will allow an in-depth virtual contact without compromising the sensitive preservation conditions. The objective is to provide an opportunity for the public to discover and study a cultural heritage, unique in the world. In order to ensure the greatest possible access a modern website, which does not require any type of installation or subscription fee, has been set up.

Now, this site has been up for a few years so it's not exactly news.  However, it's a new find to me and I'm excited!  I think this is a brilliant idea and I'm so glad that they're sharing this with the world.  Play around with it, it's fascinating!