This month, geneticists reported that they have reconstructed the genome of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, recovered from remains at East Smithfield. The sequence — the first from an ancient bacterial pathogen — may help to explain how a disease could wreak so much havoc.
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James Heather
The researchers previously said that a specific variant of the Yersinia pestis bacterium was responsible for the plague, which killed millions between 1347 and 1351.
medicaldaily.com
James McIntosh
Sequencing the genome is a time-consuming process. The gerbil genome consists of 2.4 billion base pairs and in the process of sequencing, only 100 base pairs can be read at one time. Pairs need to be processed multiple times in order to accurately locate small nucleotides in the genome.
medicalnewstoday.com
Ewen Callaway
Today, the plague pit at East Smithfield is in the heart of London's financial district, buried under modern office suites and the old Royal Mint building. The only visible remnants are the crumbled ruins of St Mary Graces, a Cistercian abbey built near the site in 1350.
nature.com
