Old cellulose found in New Mexico salt crystals

Cellulose fibers are shown under a microscope in June 2007 in this photo provided by Jack Griffith, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Courtesy of Jack Griffith

Albuquerque, New Mexico (usatoday) -- Cellulose dating back 253 million years — along with some possible ancient DNA — has been found in salt crystals from an underground nuclear waste dump in southern New Mexico.

"We did see some ancient DNA in the salt, but not a lot, and we have to continue experiments to try to verify that it is ancient DNA," said Jack D. Griffith, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. full story