Are museums the future of evolutionary medicine?

Abstract

Evolutionary medicine (or Darwinian medicine) is considered a branch of medicine and modern biology seeking to understand the mechanisms causing the onset of diseases and their evolution (and intricacy) over time. By examining the evolutionary processes of the human species, infectious agents, carcinogenic factors and the environment, it is thus possible to identify evolutionary trends, ruptures, and interactions leading to therapeutic escapes, resistance to antibiotics, and carcinogenesis or autoimmunity phenomena (Gluckman et al., 2009).Can museum objects replace or complement "classic" biological samples (i.e. DNA from living humans/animals) for population genetics and evolutionary medicine studies? This perspective could respond to certain ethical reflections, and in particular those concerning the scientific over-solicitation of the populations studied and the impacts generated on their life and functioning-impacts that have already tainted the relationship between scientists and populations. Faced with the distrust of certain Indigenous peoples regarding the fear of the theft of their genetic (and globally biocultural) heritage, is it possible to draw legally and respectfully from these objects constituting the collections of museums of ethnology, ethnography, anthropology and natural history?We have recently been able to show the interest of a bio-molecular study of the typing of lice subspecies on a set of six reduced heads (tsantsas) from the Achuar/Jivaro (Bolivia/ Ecuador): beyond the precise identification of ectoparasites, it also highlights that historical migratory movements can be reconstructed (in particular clades that were carried to America by an ancestral Eurasian Beringian population thousands of years ago) (Amanzougaghene et al., 2022).Other scientific work is possible, which would provide information as much about the physical reality of the object as about its journey and/or the history of the population from which it came. Currently, at the quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum (Paris, France), we are developing the bio-molecular analysis of partially carbonized residues in a dozen African pipe mouthpieces and chambers (sub-Saharan Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa): if the proteins of botanical species could be highlighted (paleo-proteomics), allowing the identification of the type of plant smoked (tobacco, cannabis, other local species), human DNA related to the saliva of the smoker(s) will most certainly also be

ExhibitXplorer: Enabling Personalized Content Delivery in Museums Using Contextual Geofencing and Artificial Intelligence

“…J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12,434 exhibit description, the prompt should be, "Return only the name In this way, the data for all exhibits does not need to be indexed the service is lower since ChatGPT cannot return responses that tiple exhibits.…”

“…For example, art therapy has gained recognition as a powerful tool for healing and self-expression [11]. Art therapy in a museum setting holds promise for relieving stress, anxiety, and trauma, offering a unique way to heal and express oneself [12]. In addition, the peaceful and contemplative environment of museums provides respite for people seeking solace and introspection.…”