The findings, first reported in Science, could be the first time scientists have identified DNA from da Vinci himself. The LDVP researchers therefore used an extremely gentle swabbing method to attempt to collect biological material. Some of the DNA, they say, may have come from Leonardo da Vinci himself. Moreover, da Vinci had no known direct descendants, and his burial site was breached in the early 19th century. Encouraged by the first clue about da Vinci's DNA, LDVP scientists now hope to convince the custodians of Leonardo's works and notebooks to allow them further sampling that could solve the case.