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 Graduate Students

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

The influence of diet, saliva, and dental history on the oral microbiome in healthy, caries-free Australian adults

Sonia Nath, Peter Zilm, Lisa Jamieson, Pedro Henrique Ribeiro Santiago, Don Hasan Kevin Ketagoda, Laura Weyrich, 2025, Scientific Reports

Characterising healthy Australian oral microbiomes for ‘super donor’ selection

Sonia Nath, Peter Zilm, Lisa Jamieson, Don Hashan Kevin Ketagoda, Kostas Kapellas, Laura Weyrich, 2024, Journal of Dentistry

Off the beaten track: Understudied microbes and their potential

Catharine Adams, A. Pedro Gonçalves, Sally Warring, Thijs J.G. Ettema, Laura S. Weyrich, Chelsey C. Spriggs, 2024, Cell on p. 5217-5219

Assessing the Utility of Strontium Isotopes in Fossil Dental Calculus

Anthony Dosseto, Florian Dux, Raphael Eisenhofer, Laura Weyrich, 2024, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory on p. 1570-1584

Development of an in vitro biofilm model of the human supra-gingival microbiome for Oral microbiome transplantation

Don H.K. Ketagoda, Peter Varga, Tracy R. Fitzsimmons, Nicole E. Moore, Laura S. Weyrich, Peter S. Zilm, 2024, Journal of Microbiological Methods on p. 7

Contributions of Human Genetics to Island and Coastal Archaeology

Jessica Stone, Laura Weyrich, 2024,

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,

A paleogenomic approach to reconstruct historical responses of coral reefs to anthropogenic change

Gonz\'alez-Pech, Ra\'ul A, Colin Howe, Luis Lizcano-Sandoval, Raphael Eisenhofer-Philipona, S Marciniak, Sofia Roitman, Marulanda-G\'omez, \'Angela M, Rodr\'\iguez-Ram\'\irez, Alberto, G Perry, Laura Weyrich, others, 2024, bioRxiv on p. 2024--09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Naturally-diverse airborne environmental microbial exposures modulate the gut microbiome and may provide anxiolytic benefits in mice

Craig Liddicoat, Harrison Sydnor, Christian Cando-Dumancela, Romy Dresken, Jiajun Liu, Nicholas J.C. Gellie, Jacob G. Mills, Jennifer M. Young, Laura S. Weyrich, Mark R. Hutchinson, Philip Weinstein, Martin F. Breed, 2020, Science of the Total Environment

Ancient DNA analysis of dental calculus

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

News Articles Featuring Laura Weyrich

Jul 01, 2025

ARISE program provides hands-on training to aspiring anthropologists

A talented group of aspiring anthropologists recently traveled to Penn State to take part in the Department of Anthropology’s annual ARISE program.

Full Article

Jun 13, 2025

Eight Penn State research commercialization projects awarded GAP funding

Eight research projects have been selected for support from the Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund. The GAP Fund is a competitive internal program designed to help promising technologies bridge the gap between academic research and industry adoption.

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May 27, 2025

Making research market-ready: Apply for NSF I-Corps Short Course

Invent Penn State’s U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Short Course is now accepting applications for its June virtual cohort, with an application deadline of Friday, May 30.

Full Article

Jul 06, 2024

'We've always been omnivores': Why 'meatfluencers' are wrong about what our ancestors ate

Nutrition influencers claim we should eat meat-heavy diets like our ancestors did. But our ancestors didn't actually eat that way.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Nov 29, 2023

Study of ancient British oral microbiomes reveals shift following Black Death

The Second Plague Pandemic may have led to oral microbiomes that contribute to modern-day chronic disease, according to new research

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Sep 28, 2023

Q&A: Indigenous community-first approach to more ethical microbiome research

Microbiome samples from Indigenous communities have played an important role in furthering Western medicine but have often been excluded from the research process and may miss out on the benefits that result from their contributions to science.

Full Article

Aug 22, 2023

One Health Microbiome Center's 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellows

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named five recipients for its 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships (IIF) program.

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Jun 26, 2023

Neela Yennawar and Scott Lindner selected as 2023 Huck Leadership Fellows

Launched in 2022, the Huck Leadership Fellows Program was developed for faculty members seeking to sharpen their leadership skills with an opportunity for exposure to senior leadership within the interdisciplinary research unit.

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Apr 05, 2023

Digging into the past: Forgotten soil samples are opportunity for new research

While most time capsules found on campus feature pop-culture relics like vintage copies of the Daily Collegian newspaper, the College of Agricultural Sciences has unearthed a different kind of relic: sealed jars of soil samples collected by Penn State researchers in 1915 and 1933.

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Feb 15, 2023

Free film and panel discussion reveals 'invisible' crisis of the microbial world

At 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2, Penn State’s Microbiome Center will present "The Invisible Extinction" — a movie that spotlights the trailblazing work and charismatic personalities of renowned scientists who aim to save the vanishing microbes that are essential for our survival.

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Dec 06, 2022

Indigenous Australians’ unique oral microbiomes may add to chronic disease load

Indigenous Australians have unique microbes in their mouths, which may contribute to a higher burden of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to new research led by Penn State and the University of Adelaide.

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Mar 25, 2021

Ancient oral biome points to overall health

When a baby puts something from the floor in their mouth, we panic, but the mouth already contains thousands of bacteria. Now a team of researchers is looking at archaeological remains for an example of how Japanese oral biomes have changed and what they say about the people who owned those mouths and teeth.

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Sep 24, 2020

Penn State Microbiome Center elects new executive committee

The Penn State Microbiome Center in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences recently elected six new members to join its executive committee. The new members, along with 11 others who remained on the committee, started their two-year term in July.

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