Amino Acid Analysis at York (NEaar: North East Amino Acid Racemization)

NEaar is dedicated to providing world class amino acid racemization analysis as a tool for geochronology & understanding protein breakdown.  Hosted in the Chemistry department and part of BioArCh, it became the NERC-recognised facility for chiral amino acid analysis in 2008.

Amino acid geochronology is a powerful technique for dating the Quaternary (last 2.5 Ma), but requires accessing the proteomic content within a closed system, i.e the proteins trapped within a mineral .  Through a combination of bleach pre-treatment and analysis of multiple chiral amino acid analysis, we isolate and measure the "intra-crystalline protein decomposition" (IcPD) of a fossil sample (e.g. shells, eggshell, tooth enamel), which is affected only by the time and temperature of its burial conditions. This means we can create a relative chronology framework allowing for important archaeological sites to be accurately dated.

Amino acid analysis can provide key information on protein breakdown and allows for successful screening of archaeological material for further proteomic studies,  as well as providing supporting data to confirm studies are accessing original proteins from fossils as old as 20 million years.

NEaar has three main scientific objectives:

• to continue actively pioneering analytical advances in chiral amino acid research;
• to welcome visiting researchers and students, giving them the opportunity to learn the technique and analyse their own samples whilst supporting them in data interpretation;
• to provide a “Pay-As-You-Go” chiral amino acid analysis service for the earth science and archaeological science community.