Analyzing locks
by Joy Stahl
Beethoven’s sequenced genome
Unfinished symphony
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven left behind locks of his hair and written wishes that his body be examined for science. I find it fascinating that DNA could still be obtained from that hair after so much time has passed. Researchers are trying to determine the causes of his deafness, other ailments, and cause of death. Only a portion of those questions have been answered, leading to the last line of my haiku.
Further reading:
‘Genomic analyses of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven’, T.J.A. Begg et al., 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.041
Author bio:
Joy Stahl teaches middle school in southwestern Kansas. Her poetry has appeared in Voices of Kansas. Check out Joy’s sciku ‘Hibernation’!