Gene trawl shows Druze are living "gene sanctuary"

The Druze people of Israel are a genetic sanctuary of ancient lineages of DNA, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Not only does the exclusive religious community offer a snapshot into the history of the Middle East, but their well-preserved diversity may provide opportunities for medical research, the team at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology said.

The researchers looked at mitochondrial DNA, a type of genetic material that is passed down virtually unchanged from mother to daughter. It can provide a kind of snapshot of the ancestry of a person.