Dr. Milan Varsadiya

Main research interests:

• Investigating how mineral surfaces control the adsorption, preservation, and degradation of ancient DNA (sedaDNA) in cave sediments.
• Examining the influence of mineralogy, DNA fragment size, and system chemistry (pH, ionic strength, cations, and redox conditions) on DNA-mineral interactions.
• Exploring the role of iron minerals in regulating DNA stability and phosphorus cycling under oxic and anoxic conditions.
• Improving the interpretation of sedimentary ancient DNA records by linking molecular preservation to sediment geochemistry.
• Advancing our understanding of biomolecule preservation to support more reliable reconstructions of past ecosystems and human history.