Laura Weyrich

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Laura Weyrich

Research Summary

Reconstructing ancient oral microbiomes and supporting ancient DNA analysis of past humans, environments, and animals.

Huck Affiliations

Publication Tags

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Dna Microbiota Fish Biomass Ancient Dna Health Sampling Human Health Microbiome Analysis Insects Dental Calculus Contamination Food Diet Skin Exposure Green Space Methodology Child Urban Green Respiratory System Comparison Mouth Insect

Most Recent Publications

Commercializing equitable, accessible oral microbiome transplantation therapy

Laura S. Weyrich, Sonia Nath, Lisa Jamieson, 2024, Community Dental Health on p. 83-88

Oral microbiome research from a public health perspective and implications for oral health

Sonia Nath, Laura Weyrich, Peter Zilm, Kostas Kapellas, Lisa Jamieson, 2024, Community Dental Health on p. 75-82

Ancient human microbiomes

Abigail Gancz, Samantha Muller, Laura Weyrich, 2024,

Type 1 diabetes, periodontal health, and a familial history of hyperlipidaemia is associated with oral microbiota in children: a cross-sectional study

Caitlin A. Selway, Emilija D. Jensen, Alexia S. Pena, Gabrielle Smart, Laura S. Weyrich, 2023, BMC Oral Health

Ancient dental calculus reveals oral microbiome shifts associated with lifestyle and disease in Great Britain

Abigail S. Gancz, Andrew G. Farrer, Michelle P. Nixon, Sterling Wright, Luis Arriola, Christina Adler, Emily R. Davenport, Neville Gully, Alan Cooper, Kate Britton, Keith Dobney, Justin D. Silverman, Laura S. Weyrich, 2023, Nature Microbiology on p. 2315-2325

Using sedimentary prokaryotic communities to assess historical changes in the Gippsland Lakes

Vilma Perez, Vilma Pérez, Yichen Liu, Wei Wen Wong, Adam Kessler, Perran Cook, Atun Zawadzki, Nicole Moore, Lenka Kurte, David Child, Micheal Hotchkis, Laura S. Weyrich, Anna Lintern, 2023, Freshwater Biology on p. 1839-1858

Microbiome ownership for Indigenous peoples

Matilda Handsley-Davis, Matthew Z. Anderson, Alyssa C. Bader, Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Keolu Fox, Emma Kowal, Laura S. Weyrich, 2023, Nature Microbiology on p. 1777-1786

A relational framework for microbiome research with Indigenous communities

Alyssa C. Bader, Essie M. Van Zuylen, Matilda Handsley-Davis, Rosanna A. Alegado, Amber Benezra, Rebecca M. Pollet, Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Laura S. Weyrich, Matthew Z. Anderson, 2023, Nature Microbiology on p. 1768-1776

Community partnerships are fundamental to ethical ancient DNA research

Emma Kowal, Laura S. Weyrich, Juan Manuel Argüelles, Alyssa C. Bader, Chip Colwell, Amanda Daniela Cortez, Jenny L. Davis, Gonzalo Figueiro, Keolu Fox, Ripan S. Malhi, Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith, Ayushi Nayak, Elizabeth A. Nelson, George Nicholas, Maria A. Nieves-Colón, Lynette Russell, Sean Ulm, Francisco Vergara-Silva, Fernando A. Villanea, Jennifer K. Wagner, Joseph M. Yracheta, Krystal S. Tsosie, 2023, Human Genetics and Genomics Advances

Variable preterm oral microbiome stabilizes and reflects a full-term infant profile within three months

Caitlin A. Selway, Carmel T. Collins, Maria Makrides, Thomas R. Sullivan, Robert A. Gibson, Irmeli Penttila, Andrew McPhee, Laura S. Weyrich, 2023, Pediatric Research

Most-Cited Papers

Contamination in Low Microbial Biomass Microbiome Studies: Issues and Recommendations

Raphael Eisenhofer, Jeremiah J. Minich, Clarisse Marotz, Alan Cooper, Rob Knight, Laura S. Weyrich, 2019, Trends in Microbiology on p. 105-117

Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus

Laura S. Weyrich, Sebastian Duchene, Julien Soubrier, Luis Arriola, Bastien Llamas, James Breen, Alan G. Morris, Kurt W. Alt, David Caramelli, Veit Dresely, Milly Farrell, Andrew G. Farrer, Michael Francken, Neville Gully, Wolfgang Haak, Karen Hardy, Katerina Harvati, Petra Held, Edward C. Holmes, John Kaidonis, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Marco De La Rasilla, Antonio Rosas, Patrick Semal, Arkadiusz Soltysiak, Grant Townsend, Donatella Usai, Joachim Wahl, Daniel H. Huson, Keith Dobney, Alan Cooper, 2017, Nature on p. 357-361

Environmental metabarcodes for insects: In silico PCR reveals potential for taxonomic bias

Laurence J. Clarke, Julien Soubrier, Laura Weyrich, Alan Cooper, 2014, Molecular Ecology Notes on p. 1160-1170

Comparison of environmental DNA metabarcoding and conventional fish survey methods in a river system

Jennifer L.A. Shaw, Laurence J. Clarke, Scotte D. Wedderburn, Thomas C. Barnes, Laura S. Weyrich, Alan Cooper, 2016, Biological Conservation on p. 131-138

Laboratory contamination over time during low-biomass sample analysis

Laura S. Weyrich, Andrew G. Farrer, Raphael Eisenhofer, Luis A. Arriola, Jennifer Young, Caitlin A. Selway, Matilda Handsley-Davis, Christina J. Adler, James Breen, Alan Cooper, 2019, Molecular Ecology Notes on p. 982-996

Urban habitat restoration provides a human health benefit through microbiome rewilding: the Microbiome Rewilding Hypothesis

Jacob G. Mills, Philip Weinstein, Nicholas J.C. Gellie, Laura S. Weyrich, Andrew J. Lowe, Martin F. Breed, 2017, Restoration Ecology on p. 866-872

From the field to the laboratory: Controlling DNA contamination in human ancient DNA research in the high-throughput sequencing era

Bastien Llamas, Guido Valverde, Lars Fehren-Schmitz, Laura S. Weyrich, Alan Cooper, Wolfgang Haak, 2017, Science and Technology of Archaeological Research on p. 1-14

A microbial sea of possibilities: current knowledge and prospects for an improved understanding of the fish microbiome

Thibault P.R.A. Legrand, James W. Wynne, Laura S. Weyrich, Andrew P.A. Oxley, 2020, Reviews in Aquaculture on p. 1101-1134

Ancient DNA analysis of dental calculus

Laura Weyrich, Keith Dobney, Alan Cooper, 2015, Journal of Human Evolution on p. 119-124

Transfer of environmental microbes to the skin and respiratory tract of humans after urban green space exposure

Caitlin A. Selway, Jacob G. Mills, Philip Weinstein, Chris Skelly, Sudesh Yadav, Andrew Lowe, Martin F. Breed, Laura S. Weyrich, 2020, Environmental International

News Articles Featuring Laura Weyrich

Jan 20, 2024

The Black Death’s Surprising Impact on Today’s Oral Health

New research suggests that the Second Plague Pandemic might have influenced the development of oral microbiomes that contribute to modern-day chronic disease

Full Article

Jan 18, 2024

Penn State team finds link between Black Death and modern diseases

Researchers are finding a link between that Black Death plague and some modern-day chronic illnesses

Full Article

Jan 05, 2024

The stories that defined 2023 for the One Health Microbiome Center

A list of the top 10 most popular Penn State News articles about the One Health Microbiome Center

Full Article

Jan 05, 2024

Neanderthals: More knowable now than ever

Researchers have found evidence that there may have been less of a gap of behaviors with Homo sapiens and Neanderthals

Full Article

Dec 23, 2023

Creative Structures Built By Neanderthals Is Upending Our Understanding of the Species

Researchers have spelled out the entire Neanderthal genome for multiple individuals, offering new insights into their biology

Full Article

Dec 18, 2023

Have endless junk food cravings? Blame it on Black Death

Study reveals the Black Plague led to profound dietary and hygienic changes

Full Article

Dec 16, 2023

The Black Death might be the reason we can’t stop eating junk food — new study

The dietary and hygienic changes that people underwent as a result of the Black Plague could be the reason why human being are so fond of junk food 700 years later, scientists say

Full Article

Dec 11, 2023

Black Death 700 years ago may be the reason people love junk food now

The Black Death may have not only altered history’s course but may also have led to changes in the survivors’ diet and hygiene — influencing the human oral microbiome’s composition

Full Article

Dec 06, 2023

Here’s What We Know About Neanderthals So Far

About Neanderthals and what we've learned about them

Full Article

Dec 01, 2023

Microbiome Changes from Black Death Linked to Modern Diseases

Scientists at Penn State suggest that the Black Death may have shifted the composition of the human oral microbiome toward one that contributes to chronic diseases

Full Article