Our team plans to investigate the microbial communities inhabiting permanent collections in our history museum. The aim includes monitoring of the structure and the dynamics of microbial communities colonizing different materials (paper, leather, ext.) for long-time observation and to estimate their destructive potential based on their activity. For the moment I am collecting any data, pilot-studies and information about similar investigations.
Are you interested in microbiological threat in museums. Maybe molds or fungi?
Yes, Alexandra, I am interested also about fungous component of the microbiota in such niches. Do you have any data about dominant microbial groups, incl. fungi in museum collections?
Yes, Mihail I'm doing the mycological expertise, at the end of November we will release in the conference test data on mycology in the Wilanów Palace Museum. I can send this article as be ready can be interesting for you?
Thank You in advance, Aleksandra! Fungi, I suppose will be important piece of the puzzle. Aiming to find out what is the composition of the permanent microflora, I still consider the target groups MO, for the investigation. For example, I already done similar monitoring in one cave with guano paintings , and my target groups were facultative/obligate psychrophiles, spore-forming bacteria, fungi, silicate bacteria, ammonifiers, nitrate-oxidizing and so on. But this is different location - items with different origin, material and state of conservation. And all are locate in small spaces. Anthropogenic factor has also to be included. So I am open for ideas and discussion.
Best regards
Hey Mihail,
I don't know if this is relevant to what you're looking at, but they have done extensive microbiological monitoring work on the Vasa ship here in Stockholm from the point of view of conservation and as far as I know that work is still ongoing. They might be good people to contact.
Here is a link to their page:
http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/Preservation--Research/A-future-for-Vasa/Background/
Good luck!
Amrita, thank you for the information. I will contact the group surely. The object of their research is very interesting. Microbiological monitoring 'in situ' could be a big challenge. Some years ago I participated in a similar project for the restoration of one early medieval stone monument and it was very useful and interesting.(http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/43)
Best regards.
@Mihail: You will generally find fungi as prominent group in most of museum artifacts as they are the best adapted organisms to survive on items which are placed in museums. The anthropological activities definitely affects the microflora of the museums but fungi will be the organisms if you are targeting permanent members of mo. One of my lab mates had done her PhD on aeromicroflora of museums and based on that I can say that you will be finding common fungi of the area growing on the displayed items.
http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ismej2013176a.html
This is a reference about environmental data to collect along with any genetic data you may gather via sequencing and metagenomics.
Thank You all,
Useful advices and link. My team is very enthusiastic indeed for this task. One of the main reasons for this interest is that this will be first microbiological monitoring in museum environment in my country. The data will be useful for risk assessment and preservation strategies.
This is a very interesting topic.
Is anyone aware on any research on the microbiological monitoring of in situ monuments?
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