Scientists sequenced Beethoven’s genome. They found clues in his DNA about the health challenges that shaped him as a person and the musician he came to be.
That obsession inspired Begg several years later to pursue a Master's project in Germany. It involved a hunt for evidence that Beethoven's afflictions may have had a genetic foundation. The first was his hearing loss.
To find out whether any of these health problems had a genetic cause, Begg first had to get his hands on Beethoven's DNA. He figured he'd find it in locks of hair likely dating back to the 1800s, and supposedly originating from the great composer's head. Begg moved on to pursue his PhD on a different topic altogether. But then one of the study's sponsors, a member of the
The real smoking gun came when Begg looked into possible causes of Beethoven's liver disease. One gene in particular, calledleapt out."It would have roughly tripled his risk for developing the full spectrum of liver disease," says Begg.
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