The mystery of how a 2600-year-old brain was preserved may have been at least partly solved.
Normally, the brain starts to decompose minutes after death, but this brain, discovered in a skull found in a pit in Yorkshire, England, in 2008, has survived for thousands of years.
An international research team led by University College London found that that the proteins which help hold a human brain together can fold themselves tightly into very stable structures, called aggregates, which may allow the proteins to be preserved for millennia.
Axel Petzold and colleagues took a year to unfold the proteins and when they did, they found they regained many of the features typically encountered in a normal, living human brain.
The research is published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Originally published by Cosmos as The story of a brain with staying power
Cosmos
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
