25.10.2010 -
The Marco Polo 2010 expedition along the Silk Road came to a
close last Sunday when the travellers arrived at the airport in
Trieste. The research team travelled approximately 14,000 km and
visited seven nations where they collected over 700 samples for
studies on population genetics and the genetics of taste.
The project, aimed at analyzing the genetic and cultural
characteristics of the people living along the Silk Road, was
conceived and realized by the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Sissa Medialab
and the Terra Madre Foundation, in collaboration with the
Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, AREA Science Park, and
the Department of Reproductive Sciences and Development at the
University of Trieste. With the travel phase complete, Marco Polo
2010 is now delving into a more scientific arena: data analysis,
which the researchers at the Medical Genetics Laboratory at Burlo
Garofolo Hospital and CBM have already begun.
"Already," explains Paolo Gasparini, scientific director for the
project, "we are seeing very interesting results. The initial
calculations seem to confirm our experiences in the field, namely,
that from Azerbaijan onward there is a much higher percentage of
people who are supertasters according to the bitter test, which
means they are extremely sensitive to bitter tastes. This type of
test focuses on the genes that affect taste and from which our food
preferences derive. In the Pamirs, for example, we found 37% of
people to be supertasters, an extremely high number given that the
average recorded in Europe ranges from 7 to 15%. This may explain
why these populations prefer a cuisine dominated by sweet
flavours".
The populations encountered were also studied using audiometric
and colour perception tests and by observing physical features.
"Beyond the raw numbers," stresses Pio D'A damo, a biologist
specialized in applied genetics, "we are particularly pleased
because we have created a network of contacts in the countries we
travelled through that will enable us, if necessary, to enlarge the
number of samples for analysis.
In Trieste we have uploaded almost all the data and now three
colleagues are completing the forms and integrating all necessary
information. The preliminary data could be ready in time for
Researchers' Night in Trieste on September 24".In any case, there
will be a more extensive public presentation of the expedition, its
objectives and results including films and photographs at the
"Terra Madre2010" in Turin, coinciding with the international Slow
Food fair " Salone del Gusto" from 21 to 25 October.
The definitive presentation of the expedition's results to the
scientific community will instead take place at a conference
organized in Spring 2011 together with the Academy of Sciences of
the People's Republic of China.Travel journals, photos and videos
are available on the website, www.marcopolo2010.it.Marco Polo 2010
enjoys the support of Domori, Eppinger, Pool Pharma and Meta Mondo,
who also provided technical support in organizing travels.
Additional collaborators include Canon Italia and Cividin viaggi.
The Municipality of Trieste and the Italian Pavilion at the 2010
Shanghai Expo provide sponsorship.
Thanks also go to: Consorzio di Biomedicina Molecolare - CBM,
the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan, the Italian Embassy in
Kazakhstan, the Italian Embassy in Turkmenistan and the Italian
Embassy in Uzbekistan.