Study on the feasibility of applying DNA molecular marking technology to anti-counterfeiting of artifacts and artworks

Abstract

Artifacts and artworks record the wisdom of human activities and civilization. They not only trace an era’s history or reflect the aesthetics of contemporary art and different lifestyles, but they also enable us to understand the codes of wisdom passed down from our ancestors and explore history. Therefore, determining artworks’ authenticity is increasingly important. The objective of study was to investigate the feasibility of applying DNA molecular marking technology to anti-counterfeiting of artifacts and artworks. The DNA sequence used for testing in this research came from the team’s previous studies. A genetic substance was embedded in the artwork to test the DNA’s feasibility, repeatability, and reproducibility, as well as the difference in the deterioration conditions of the DNA embedded artwork. Our results showed that about 70% to 90% of the DNA fragments remained intact. Therefore, we conclude that embedding the extracted DNA directly into a painting and detecting whether the DNA fragments persist after reconstitution could help us to determine the authenticity of a painting