Methods for Prescreening Collagen in Bone Tissue

Bones primarily consist of three components: inorganic bioapatite, organic collagen, and water. Collagen is particularly important in research, as its presence makes it a great indicator in preservation of bones and the possibility to investigate topics such as DNA, isotope analyses, radiocarbon dating (C14), and much more.

During conventional sampling of bone material, the surface is cleaned, sanded down, and a visible piece of the sample is removed. This is often done even when there is no certainty that collagen is still present in the sample. This study investigates whether NIR and FTIR spectroscopy can be used to detect the presence and quality of collagen in bone tissue. If successful, this could enable a non-destructive sampling method and help avoid unnecessary damage to objects that ultimately prove not to contain collagen.

In this experiment, a series of bones were exposed to controlled heating at different temperatures and time intervals in order to simulate collagen degradation through thermal decomposition. The practical challenges associated with working on bone material and the technical equipment used will also be tested and discussed.