Origin of treponemal syndromes.  Treponemal DNA from skeletal material in Danish cemeteries dating to 1500 A.D. is being analyzed.  Questions of interest include the evolution of venereal syphilis and the other treponemal syndromes.  Variants that distinguish the various treponemes are assayed from ancient and contemporary material in order to elucidate evolution of the treponemes and their associated syndromes.  Sherin Smallwood (University Scholars Program undergraduate student) is extracting DNA and performing test PCR amplifications.  Collaboration with Mark Shriver (Anthropology, Penn State), Noreen Tuross (Harvard University), Sheila Lukehart (U of Washington), and Arturo Centurion-Lara (U of Washington). See #4 (above) for treponemal study using modern strains.