Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Ancient DNA and forensic DNA are becoming increasingly important in today’s archaeological research and forensic investigations. This lab practicum provides students a hands-on experience to learn essential lab skills to extract and analyze trace amounts of ancient DNA or degraded forensic DNA while executing vigorous contamination controls. Variable units: 3, 4, 5, 6.

COURSE DETAILS:

Classes and labs are scheduled on Fridays from 9:30am -12:30pm and 1:30pm - 4:30pm. These times may be adjusted weekly to accommodate special lab activities and availability of team members. For ancient DNA lab work, students work in pairs, and only one pair may use a research lab room at any given time.

Ancient and forensic DNA are essential tools in modern archaeology and forensic investigation. From identifying unknown species of archaeological faunal remains to solving forensic cold cases, the retrieval and interpretation of degraded DNA have transformed what we know about the past and guided our new investigations.

This lab practicum allows students to conduct real ancient DNA research in a dedicated ancient DNA lab. It’s designed as an immersive, hands-on experience where students learn and practice laboratory techniques to extract, amplify, analyze, and interpret DNA from archaeological samples. You won’t just learn about DNA techniques, you’ll do them.

Although this course doesn’t cover actual forensic DNA investigations, the hands-on skills and experience gained from authentic ancient DNA laboratory work are directly transferable to forensic DNA analysis—after all, even the toughest cold cases can, in temporal terms, be viewed as recent “archaeological” events.

Two Modules, One Goal: Experience in the Lab

The course lab is divided into two modules. The first module works with modern animal tissues from 3 to 5 species. Here, students will learn how to extract DNA, set up PCR amplification and analyze DNA sequences. Through this module, students will also use sterile flocked swabs to collect and analyze DNA from smear surfaces (provided) to simulate CSI sampling of blood stains for DNA extraction and analysis. Essentially, this module introduces lab etiquette and hands-on skills, such as pipetting, to demonstrate that DNA analysis is an accurate and precise physical and chemical process.

The second module shifts to focus on ancient DNA (aDNA) - the low-yield, highly degraded genetic material from hundreds or thousands of years ago. Each student will obtain aDNA from 3 to 5 archaeological faunal specimens. Students will follow special protocols to extract aDNA in the dedicated ancient DNA lab space and will exercise vigorous contamination controls throughout the process. This module emphasizes patience, accuracy, and appreciation for the difficulty of obtaining genetic information from the past and highlights how easily it is to contaminate aDNA with modern DNA.

By evaluating both modules side by side, students can pinpoint how modern and ancient DNA samples differ in recoverable DNA yield, result reliability, contamination risk, and interpretive strategy. Although routine forensic work involves contemporary DNA, tapping into aDNA methods can sharpen the analysis of cold‐case material.

Take Your Lab Skills Further - From the Bench to Publication
This lab course doesn’t just teach techniques - it gives you the full research experience. Once you have generated your own data, you’ll be encouraged to develop your own research question(s) based on your own data and explore archaeological and forensic issues such as identifying unknown bone fragments or uncovering long-term trends in species abundance, population change, or ancient subsistence practices. Furthermore, students may also explore how their lab work has implications for modern DNA-based forensic investigations.

Students will report their findings in the form of a journal article, formatted as if it were to be submitted for publication. This final lab report will follow the standard structure of a peer-reviewed journal paper, reinforcing the research writing process and emphasizing clarity, organization, and evidence-based interpretation.

By the end of the course, students will have gained hands-on lab experience and produced a concrete example of semi-independent research - something worth including in a graduate school application or on a CV.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is tailored towards students from archaeology, criminology, forensics or related disciplines who don’t have a strong background in biology or genetics. This course is for you if you are curious, meticulous, and ready to get your hands dirty (here more metaphorically), and especially if you are planning to apply for graduate schools. This practicum will give you an opportunity to test for yourself in a lab-based and interdisciplinary research setting and help you determine if this environment is one you wish to pursue in your graduate studies.

For students majoring in biology or MBB at SFU, this course will prove to be an excellent opportunity for you to gain valuable hands-on experience of working on trace amounts of DNA while avoiding the risk of contamination. This in turn may increase your chance of securing a career in forensic DNA or wildlife conservations.      

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

A course fee of $800 is required to cover the cost of the lab work, including chemical reagents, lab supplies, sequencing costs, and bench equipment use.

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: