Bio

Taryn received her BS in Biochemistry from Roanoke College in 2016. She is a current PhD student in the Bioarchaeology and Genomics (BiG) Laboratory, studying ancient DNA found in composite samples such as paleofeces and sediment. Her primary focus is analyzing the floral, faunal, and microbial content of paleofeces to aid in dietary and environmental reconstruction, along with seeing how diet and the gut microbiome changed with environmental and technological shifts. She is additionally interested in comparing genetic data to macro and microremains found at archaeological sites.