PLoS ONE (Jan 2017)

Atomic resolution studies detect new biologic evidences on the Turin Shroud.

  • Elvio Carlino,
  • Liberato De Caro,
  • Cinzia Giannini,
  • Giulio Fanti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180487
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 6
p. e0180487

Abstract

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We performed reproducible atomic resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Wide Angle X-ray Scanning Microscopy experiments studying for the first time the nanoscale properties of a pristine fiber taken from the Turin Shroud. We found evidence of biologic nanoparticles of creatinine bounded with small nanoparticles of iron oxide. The kind, size and distribution of the iron oxide nanoparticles cannot be dye for painting but are ferrihydrate cores of ferritin. The consistent bound of ferritin iron to creatinine occurs in human organism in case of a severe polytrauma. Our results point out that at the nanoscale a scenario of violence is recorded in the funeral fabric and suggest an explanation for some contradictory results so far published.