{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T14:10:27Z","timestamp":1790691027177,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":89,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,2]],"date-time":"2025-01-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735776000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Molecular Ecology Resources"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:p>Formalin preservation of museum specimens has long been considered a barrier to molecular research due to extensive crosslinking and chemical modification. However, recent optimisation of hot alkaline lysis and proteinase K digestion DNA extraction methods have enabled a growing number of studies to overcome these challenges and conduct genome\u2010wide re\u2010sequencing and targeted locus\u2010specific sequencing. The newest, and perhaps most unexpected utility of formalin preservation in archival samples is its ability to preserve in\u00a0situ DNA\u2010protein interactions at a molecular level. Retrieving this signal provides information about the relative compaction or accessibility of the genome to the transcriptional machinery required for gene expression. Thus, exposure to formalin essentially corresponds to taking a snapshot of organism\u2010wide gene expression at the time of death. While DNA methylation and RNA\u2010Seq analyses of dried tissues have provided glimpses into historical gene regulation, these techniques were previously limited to skeletal or desiccated remains, offering only partial insights. By examining fluid\u2010preserved specimens, molecular tools can now be applied to a broader range of tissues, enabling more detailed tissue\u2010specific gene regulation profiling across vertebrates. In this review, we chronicle the historical use of formaldehyde in collections and discuss how targeted chromatin profiling with assays like MNase\u2010seq and FAIRE\u2010seq are surmounting fixation challenges and unlocking invaluable insights into historical genomes and gene expression profiles. The deeper integration of molecular genetics with museum collections bridges the gap between past and present and provides a vital tool that could help us predict and mitigate some of the impacts of future environmental change, novel pathogens, or invasive species.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1755-0998.14065","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T07:11:03Z","timestamp":1735888263000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Reframing Formalin: A Molecular Opportunity Enabling Historical Epigenomics and Retrospective Gene Expression Studies"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5257-0019","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Clare E.","family":"Holleley","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Research Collections Australia Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation  Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6459-9508","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erin E.","family":"Hahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Research Collections Australia Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation  Canberra Australian Capital Territory 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