We are proud to share that our research team has published a new study in Cell, presenting the oldest ancient RNA ever sequenced—recovered from woolly mammoth tissues preserved for up to 39,000 years.
Using permafrost-preserved samples, we show that RNA can survive for tens of thousands of years, retaining clear signatures of tissue-specific gene expression. Our most complete data come from the mammoth “Yuka,” whose RNA reveals detailed skeletal muscle expression patterns and even supports the discovery of novel microRNA candidates.
This work opens a new frontier in paleogenomics, demonstrating that ancient RNA can provide biological insights far beyond what DNA alone can reveal.
Reference: Mármól-Sánchez et al., Cell (2026), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.10.025
