Microbial colonisation of paper and parchment

Microorganisms can be responsible for the destruction of Cultural Heritage, together with several environmental conditions, ageing and the chemical structure of substrates. Traditionally, microbiology research carried out in this field was mainly based on classical cultivation methods. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that cultivation methods recover less than 1% of the total microorganisms present in environmental samples. Therefore, microbial investigations based on cultivation strategies can not be regarded as reliable in terms of reflecting the microbial diversity present in cultural assets. In addition, extensive cultivation strategies require more sample material than could be obtained from art objects. In the last years, Molecular Biology is developing at a really fast pace. Many of the molecular techniques available have been already applied to the study of cultural assets. However, the study of the microbial communities colonising paper and parchment by using molecular methods has not been addressed until now. The use of these techniques would be necessary to obtain a more complete picture of the organisms present on such objects. The aim of this project is the study of the microbial communities colonising paper and parchment of different ages and manufacturing processes by non-destructive, culture-independent techniques. The obtained results will be used to advice and instruct restorers in the field of "microbial" deterioration. One of the most innovative aspects of this project will be the monitoring of the microbial communities present on such objects before and after disinfection and restoration efforts, that will allow to determine the efficacy of the applied treatments and the proposal of restoration protocols for the specific substrates. The main benefits of this project will be i) to achieve a better understanding of the complexity of the microbial communities colonising valuable archival works as paper/parchment; ii) to elucidate the nature of foxing on paper iii) to create a complete catalogue of microorganisms responsible of deterioration of paper/parchment objects associated to different age and manufacturing process; iv) to start an active collaboration with restorers, advising for an adequate design of restoration treatments and supporting in the microbial aspects of restoration activities, v) to monitor the restored objects after different treatments to evaluate their efficacy over a long-term period.

Microorganisms can be responsible for the destruction of Cultural Heritage, together with several environmental conditions, ageing and the chemical structure of substrates. Traditionally, microbiology research carried out in this field was mainly based on classical cultivation methods. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that cultivation methods recover less than 1% of the total microorganisms present in environmental samples. Therefore, microbial investigations based on cultivation strategies can not be regarded as reliable in terms of reflecting the microbial diversity present in cultural assets. In addition, extensive cultivation strategies require more sample material than could be obtained from art objects. In the last years, Molecular Biology is developing at a really fast pace. Many of the molecular techniques available have been already applied to the study of cultural assets. However, the study of the microbial communities colonising paper and parchment by using molecular methods has not been addressed until now. The use of these techniques would be necessary to obtain a more complete picture of the organisms present on such objects. The aim of this project is the study of the microbial communities colonising paper and parchment of different ages and manufacturing processes by non-destructive, culture-independent techniques. The obtained results will be used to advice and instruct restorers in the field of "microbial" deterioration. One of the most innovative aspects of this project will be the monitoring of the microbial communities present on such objects before and after disinfection and restoration efforts, that will allow to determine the efficacy of the applied treatments and the proposal of restoration protocols for the specific substrates. The main benefits of this project will be i) to achieve a better understanding of the complexity of the microbial communities colonising valuable archival works as paper/parchment; ii) to elucidate the nature of foxing on paper iii) to create a complete catalogue of microorganisms responsible of deterioration of paper/parchment objects associated to different age and manufacturing process; iv) to start an active collaboration with restorers, advising for an adequate design of restoration treatments and supporting in the microbial aspects of restoration activities, v) to monitor the restored objects after different treatments to evaluate their efficacy over a long-term period.