During the construction of VCU’s Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building in April 1994, nineteenth century ancestral remains were found in an abandoned well on the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) campus. This well, now known as the East Marshall Street Well (EMSW), is thought to have been used as a disposal location for cadaver dissection for surgical and other medical waste in the past. VCU is now seeking to use DNA sequencing technology to match and assemble bones from each individual for a proper burial, uncover the cultural and historical context in which these people lived, and bring a sense of closure to our community and to these ancestors. The development of oral diseases can result from disruptions to the ecological balance of the oral microbiome, especially by pathogenic bacteria, so studying the dental plaque microbiome and recognizing the different species present can provide insight into the health and disease status of these individuals. This research includes a preliminary study (n=8) on the calcified dental plaques (dental calculus) found on the teeth of the skulls using 16S rDNA high throughput sequencing to uncover information about microbes associated with dental calculus. The two most abundant bacteria associated with these samples were Caulobacteraceae and Cytophagales. The composition of the ancient oral microbiome, which preserves dietary and environmental debris, might also provide us with insight into the dietary patterns and environmental conditions of these individuals.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1425/thumbnail.jp
