The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Life Sciences
  3. Physiology & Medicine
  4. How does food affect DNA in your saliva?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

How does food affect DNA in your saliva?

  • 1 Replies
  • 1491 Views
  • 7 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Lewis Thomson (OP)

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 27
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
How does food affect DNA in your saliva?
« on: 05/02/2018 17:31:01 »
Paul asks:

I have just had a bowl of sour stewed plums (with yoghurt to try to sweeten it up a bit) for breakfast. If I send off a spit sample for DNA now, or if I have a curry meal for dinner this evening and then send off a spit sample, or if I go and brush my teeth and then send off a spit sample, what are the chances that the acid in the plums or the curry or something in the toothpaste may affect the DNA sample extracted from my spit?

What do you think?
Logged
 



Offline evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 9207
  • Activity:
    73%
  • Thanked: 927 times
    • View Profile
Re: How does food affect DNA in your saliva?
« Reply #1 on: 05/02/2018 21:15:46 »
Most publicly-accessible DNA scans today do not look at the whole genome - they look for specific stretches of human DNA that vary a lot between human individuals or ancestral human populations. These tests will not be distracted by samples of plum DNA or goat DNA.

However, in whole-genome DNA reading, efforts must be made to avoid contamination with foreign DNA from bacteria or meals. First all DNA is chopped into shorter strands for reading, with any foreign DNA mixed in too. These short strands are then reassembled into chromosomes by comparing them to a human reference genome; bits of plum, bacterial or goat DNA do not fit onto this template, and can be rejected.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_DNA_test

Information about prehistoric diets has been extracted from DNA trapped in dental plaque.
By regularly cleaning your teeth, you are depriving future generations of palaeontologists of important dietary data about our society.
https://www.nature.com/news/neanderthal-tooth-plaque-hints-at-meals-and-kisses-1.21593
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: dna  / spit  / saliva  / acid  / sample  / reaction  / chemical 
 

Similar topics (5)

Does gravity affect gravity?

Started by VernBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 28
Views: 15281
Last post 10/11/2010 04:51:37
by jartza
How would a parallel universe affect our Universe?

Started by FMcGafferBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 27
Views: 13195
Last post 06/05/2013 10:23:49
by dlorde
How does "I-DOSER" affect your brain?

Started by BenCBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 7
Views: 30002
Last post 26/06/2008 09:39:27
by Counterpoints
Does the weather affect your health, and can bad health be forecast?

Started by paul.frBoard That CAN'T be true!

Replies: 15
Views: 19620
Last post 25/03/2009 12:01:46
by Robert Lee
How does the source of infection affect severity of infection?

Started by melaniejsBoard COVID-19

Replies: 0
Views: 849
Last post 23/03/2020 15:04:14
by melaniejs
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.105 seconds with 37 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.