Of Microbes and Art: The Role of Microbial Communities in the Degradation and Protection of Cultural Heritage

250 Pages·2000·12.599 MB·English

by  Clara Urzì, Filomena De Leo, Sybren De Hoog, Katja Sterflinger (auth.), Orio Ciferri, Piero Tiano, Giorgio Mastromei (eds.)

Of Microbes and Art
Of Microbes and Art
The Role of Microbial Communities in the
Degradation and Protection of Cultural Heritage
Edited by
Orio Ciferri
University of Pavia
Pa via, Italy
Piero Tiano
C.N.R.-C.S. "Opere d'Arte"
Florence, Italy
and
Giorgio Mastromei
University of Florence
Florence, Italy
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Of microbes and art: the role of microbial communities in the degradation and
protection of cultural heritage/edited by Orio Ciferri, Piero Tiano, and Giorgio Mastromei
p. cm.
Proceedings of an International Conference on Microbiology and Conservation (ICMC)
held June 17-19 in Florence, Italy.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4613-6904-2 ISBN 978-1-4615-4239-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-4239-1
1. Biodegradation-Congresses. 2. Art objects-Conservation and
restoration-Congresses. 3. Materials-Biodeterioration-Congresses. 1. Ciferri, Orio,
1928- II. Tiano, Piero, 1947- III. Mastromei, Giorgio, 1951- IV. International
Conference on Microbiology (Florence, Italy)
QR135 .036 2000
701' .8'8-dc21
00-023508
ISBN 978-1-4613-6904-2
Proceedings of an International Conference on Microbiology and Conservation (ICMC) entitled Of Microbes
and Art: The Role of Microbial Communities on the Degradation and Protection of Cultural Heritage, held
17-19 June, 1999, in Florence, Italy.
©2000 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Kluwer AcademiclPlenum Publishers in 2000
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 2000
AII rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form Of by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher.
International Scientific Committee
O. Ciferri, Universita di Pavia (IT)
G. Mastromei, Universita di Firenze (IT)
E. May, Portsmouth Polytechnic (UK)
M.P. Nugari, ICR, Roma (IT)
C. Saiz-limenez, CSIC, Sevilla (ES)
O. Salvadori, Laboratorio Scient. Sopr., Venezia (IT)
C. Sorlini, Universita di Milano (IT)
P. Tiano, CNR Opere Arte, Firenze (IT)
C. Urzi, Universita di Messina (IT)
T. Warscheid, Inst. Material Science, Bremen (D)
Contributors
Abbruscato Pamela. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM ilan, Italy.
Abdulla Hesham. Department ofB otany, Suez Canal University, Isamailia,
Egypt.
Biagiotti Lucia. Department ofA nimal Biology and Genetics "Leo Pardi ",
University ofF lorence and Center for Scientific Conservation ofA rt
Works, CNR, Florence, Italy.
Borin Sara. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM ilan, Italy.
Bracci Susanna. Center for Scientific Conservation ofA rt Works, CNR,
Florence, Italy.
Castanier Sabine. Laboratory ofB iogeology and Microbiogeology,
University ofN antes, France.
Ciferri Orio. Department ofG enetics and Microbiology "A. Buzzati
Traverso ", University ofP avia, Italy.
Daffonchio Daniele. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM ilan, Italy.
Daly Simona. Department ofA nimal Biology and Genetics "Leo Pardi ",
University ofF lorence, Italy.
De Hoog Sybren. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn, The
Netherlands.
De Leo Filomena. Institute ofM icrobiology, University ofM essina, Italy.
Dewedar Ahmed. Department ofB otany, Suez Canal University, Ismailia,
Egypt.
Dornieden Thomas. ICBM, University "Carl von Ossietzky", Oldenburg,
Germany.
vii
Vlll Contributors
Florian Mary-Lou Esther. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria,
Canada.
Galizzi Alessandro. Department ofG enetics and Microbiology "A. Buzzati
Traverso ", University ofP avia, Italy.
Gorbushina Anna A. ICBM, University "Carl von Ossietzky ", Oldenburg,
Germany.
Gurtner Claudia. Institute ofM icrobiology and Genetics, University of
Vienna, Austria.
Hermosin Bernardo Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia,
e.SI.e., Seville, Spain.
Koestler Robert J. Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation, The
Metropolitan Museum ofA rt, New York, USA.
Krumbein Wolfgang E. Geomicrobiology, ICBM, University "Carl von
Ossietzky ", Oldenburg, Germany.
Laiz Leonilla Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, C.SI.e.,
Seville, Spain.
Lamenti Gioia. Center for Study ofA utotrophic Microorganisms, CNR,
Florence, Italy.
Le Metayer-Levrel Gaele. Laboratory ofB iogeology and Microbiogeology,
University ofN antes, France.
Loubiere Jean-FranfYois. CALCITE SA., Levallois-Perret, France.
Lubitz Werner. Institute ofM icrobiology and Genetics, University of
Vienna, Austria.
Maifreni Tullia. Stazione Sperimentale per la Seta, Milan, Italy.
Mastromei Giorgio. Department ofA nimal Biology and Genetics "Leo
Pardi ", University ofF lorence, Italy.
Matteini Mauro. Opijicio Pietre Dure, Florence, Italy.
May Eric. School ofB iological Sciences, University ofP ortsmouth, UK.
Orial Genevieve. Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques,
Champs sur Marne, France.
Papida Sophia. School ofB iological Sciences, University ofP ortsmouth,
UK.
Perito Brunella. Department ofA nimal Biology and Genetics "Leo Pardi ",
University ofF lorence, Italy.
Perthuisot Jean-Pierre. Laboratory ofB iogeology and Microbiogeology,
University ofN antes, France.
Pinar Guadalupe. Institute ofM icrobiology and Genetics, University of
Vienna, Austria.
Ranalli Giancarlo. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM olise, Campobasso, Italy.
Realini Marco Gino Bozza Center, CNR, Milan, Italy.
Recio Delfina Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, e.S.I.e.,
Seville, Spain.
Contributors ix
Rolleke Sabine. Institute ofM icrobiology and Genetics, University of
Vienna, Austria.
Romano Maria. Stazione Sperimentale per la Seta, Milan, Italy.
Saiz-limenez Cesareo. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia,
C.S.Ie., Seville, Spain.
Salvadori Omelia. Soprintendenza per i Beni Artistici e Storici di Venezia,
Venice, Italy.
Scicolone Giovanna. Scuola Regionale per la Conservazione dei Beni
Culturali, Botticino Sera (BS), Italy.
Seves Alberto. Stazione Sperimentale per la Cellulosa, Carta e Fibre Tessili
Vegetali ed Artificiali, Milan, Italy.
Seves AnnaMaria. Department ofG enetics and Microbiology "A. Buzzati
Traverso ", University ofP avia, Italy.
Sora Silvio. Department ofG enetics and Microbiology "A. Buzzati
Traverso ", University ofP avia, Italy.
Sorlini Claudia. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM ilan, Italy.
Sterflinger Katja. Geomicrobiology, ICBM, University "Carl von
Ossietzky ", Oldenburg, Germany.
Tayler Sally. School ofB iological Sciences, University ofP ortsmouth, UK.
Tiano Piero. Center for Scientific Conservation ofA rt Works, CNR,
Florence, Italy.
Tomaselli Luisa. Center for Study ofA utotrophic Microorganisms, CNR,
Florence, Italy.
Tosini Isetta. Opificio Pietre Dure, Florence, Italy.
Urzi Clara. Institute ofM icrobiology, University ofM essina, Italy.
Warscheid Thomas. Institute for Material Science, Bremen, Germany.
Zanardini Elisabetta. Department ofF ood and Microbiological Sciences and
Technologies, University ofM ilan, Italy.
Preface
Cultural heritage, the term now utilized to cover the immensely diverse
mass of documents of all types upon which our societies confer a particular
artistic, historic or ethnologic value, provides an extremely wide range of
ecological niches and chemical compounds which may be exploited by an
equally wide range of microorganisms. As a consequence, microorganisms
colonize all types of cultural artifacts (from archaeological sites to miniatures,
from illuminated parchment to stone monuments) often causing extensive and
irreversible aesthetic and structural damages. Further, biodeterioration
induced by microorganisms is a global problem since microorganisms are
present in all habitats, including the most extreme ones, and possess an
amazingly diversified metabolic versatility. Therefore, microbial defacement
and degradation of cultural artifacts, the traces of human civilisation, is a
worldwide problem: all countries are affected regardless of their history,
geographical localization, socio-economic conditions, etc. There is an
allegedly Italian saying that sums this up by stating "Blessed were the
ancients, for they had no antiquities".
Already in the thirties reports linking defacement of cultural heritage to
colonization by microorganisms appeared and attempts were made to control
such "infestations" by mechanical, chemical or physical methods. However,
only in the fifties did special sessions devoted to the role that microbial
colonization could play in the defacement and degradation of cultural heritage
began to be organized in the framework of more general meetings dedicated to
the studies on conservation. This led to the realization that biodeterioration
could also be caused by the interactions of microbes with "cultural
substrates", the term substrate meaning the surfaces on which a
microorganism may settle and grow as well as the sources of energy and
Xl
xii Preface
chemicals necessary for its growth. This book is the outcome of a meeting,
held in Florence in 1999, dedicated exclusively to the relationships existing
between microorganisms and cultural heritage. It seemed to the organizers
that, although enough data is now available demonstrating a direct link
between colonization by microbes and defacement of cultural artifacts, a
frustrating ignorance concerning the mechanisms of such interactions
continues to exist. The meeting was intended to address these issues but also
to gaze at the future developments in these areas.
Personally, I have found extremely gratifying that almost one hundred
scientists, many from overseas, attended the Florence conference and that the
greatest majority (over sixty percent) of the registered participants came from
outside Italy. It was even more gratifying to realize that many were young
scientists (postdoctorate fellows, graduate students and the like) indicating
that, perhaps, there is a younger generation who is concerned by the
biodegradation of cultural heritage and considers the possibility of working in
these areas, conjugating laboratory research and conservation, scientific quest
and practical applications. I also received the impression that this meeting
has represented an important step in the study of the relations between
microbiology and conservation. It seemed to me that many of the
communications presented at the conference witnessed the coming of age of
microbiological research in the fields of conservation. Just to cite a few
examples, the utilization of more sophisticated and more sensitive analytical
techniques such as peR amplification and molecular fmgerprinting for the
identification of the microbial flora present on cultural artifacts, the
elaboration of laboratory models that allow to study microbially-induced
biodegradation under controlled conditions and in much shorter periods of
time, the possibility of a sort of microbial bioremediation of stone artifacts,
the demonstration that microbial colonization is almost always accomplished
through the formation of biofilms on the surface of the cultural objects.
It emerged also from the meeting that a lot of work remains to be done. If
we have made a quantum leap in the techniques for identifying the microbial
taxa present on cultural heritage (I look with amazement and, at the same
time, with awe at the lengthening of the lists of microorganisms encountered
on art objects), we know very little about, for instance, the species responsible
for the degradation process, how the flora has evolved, the interactions among
the different members of the microbial biodegradative communities, or the
mechanisms underlying the chemical and mechanical transformations brought
about by the action of microorganisms. Borrowing from the terminology of
medical microbiology, one could say that very often the causative agent has
not been identified and little is known concerning the microbe-host
interactions. The study of microbial colonization of cultural heritage is
difficult, as it deals with complex systems and their interrelationships: the
materials composing the object, the environment in which the object is
Preface xiii
localized, the microbial flora surrounding and colonizing the object. Further,
with few exceptions, colonization is due to a community of different
microorganisms interacting with the substrate but also among themselves.
Another message I received at the Florence meeting is the need for a closer
collaboration between experimental scientists on one hand and conservators
on the other. It is possible that two distinct cultures exist here too. On one
side the laboratory scientist, whose main interest is to ascertain how a given
artifact has changed over the time, which organisms are present on it and how
these organisms have contributed to the variations in the physico-chemical
properties of the artifact. On the other side, there is the conservator whose
main purpose is not so much to understand what has happened and why, but
what to do in order to arrest or prevent further injuries to the object. This gap
may be bridged only if the two communities get closer and learn to
communicate one another. Better coordination and communication are the
greatest challenges facing the two communities. My wish is that the future
conferences on microbiology and conservation will see the bridging of this
gap. Otherwise, there is the risk that, even for cultural heritage, Pasteur's
admonition "Messieurs, c'est les microbes qui auront Ie dernier mot" may
come true .....
Orio Ciferri
Chairman of the
Scientific Committee