Proteins from the Past: Palaeoproteomic Methods

This intensive seven-days summer course (7-8 hours each day) will provide you with a detailed introduction to the methods used for mass spectrometry (MS)-based ancient protein sequencing, i.e. palaeoproteomics. The course will focus on the most advanced methodologies and applications of palaeoproteomics to palaeontology, palaeoprimatology and palaeoanthropology. Applications of palaeoproteomics to cultural heritage (CH) studies and conservation will also be described.
The students will actively take part to all the laboratory activities defining the most advanced workflow currently used in a standard palaeoproteomic study. Hands-on sessions will start with preparation of authentic ancient samples for proteomics analysis, continuing with high-resolution tandem MS data production, and concluding with the analysis and the interpretation of the data the students generated themselves.
A series of lectures will present: (i) the history of this research field, (ii) the most advanced technologies and methodologies it relies on, and (iii) the most impressive scientific achievements it accomplished.

1. Indicative schedule:
2. Day 1: Introductory lectures: history of palaeoproteomics and jey discoveries
3. Day 2: Introductory lectures (continued): most advanced applications of palaeoproteomics
4. Day 3: Sample preparation
5. Day 4: Sample preparation (continued) and nanoLC-MS/MS
6. Day 5: Lectures: methods that enabled key palaeoproteomics achievements
7. Day 6: MS data analysis
8. Day 7: Palaeoproteomic data interpretation and reporting