Microbial Interactions in Cultural Heritage Deterioration
Summary
Cultural heritage materials, including stone, wood, textiles and painted surfaces, are subject to complex microbial colonisation that can accelerate physical decay, chemical alteration and aesthetic loss. Bacteria, archaea, fungi and phototrophic microorganisms establish biofilms or endolithic communities, secreting organic acids, pigments and enzymatic by-products that dissolve minerals, fragment polymers and stain surfaces. Environmental parameters such as humidity, light exposure, temperature fluctuations and air pollutants modulate community composition and activity, often favouring synergistic or antagonistic interactions that influence overall damage rates. Advances in molecular profiling, high-resolution imaging and metabolomic analyses have unveiled diverse microbial consortia and the metabolic pathways they deploy. An improved understanding of these interactions informs the development of targeted conservation approaches, ranging from wavelength-specific lighting to green biocides, all designed to preserve global cultural assets while accommodating visitor access and evolving environmental pressures.
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Microbial Interactions in Cultural Heritage Deterioration publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial interactions in cultural heritage deterioration across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biodeterioration: Degradation of cultural materials by microbial metabolism, leading to structural weakening or disfigurement.
Microbiome: The assemblage of microorganisms and their collective genomes inhabiting a defined environment.
Biofilm: A surface-attached microbial community embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances.
Phototrophic microorganism: An organism that uses light energy to drive photosynthesis, often implicated in pigment-mediated stone staining.
Bioreceptivity: The inherent susceptibility of a material to colonisation by biological organisms based on its physicochemical properties.
References
- Innovative strategy for the conservation of a millennial mausoleum from biodeterioration through artificial light management. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2023).
- The Control of Cultural Heritage Microbial Deterioration. Microorganisms (2020).
- Metabolomic and high-throughput sequencing analysis—modern approach for the assessment of biodeterioration of materials from historic buildings. Frontiers in Microbiology (2015).
- Influence of Environment on Microbial Colonization of Historic Stone Buildings with Emphasis on Cyanobacteria. Heritage (2020).
- Microbially induced deterioration of architectural heritages: routes and mechanisms involved. Environmental Sciences Europe (2012).
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