Of Microbes and Art

Download or read book Of Microbes and Art written by Orio Ciferri and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbial defacement and degradation of artistic or historic artifacts is a worldwide problem affecting all countries regardless of their history, geographical location, or economic conditions. This is the first comprehensive study of the role of microbial colonization on the degradation of different cultural artifacts (from buildings to books, wall paintings, textiles, sculptures and glass) and of the investigations into the compounds utilized to control microbial invasion. The book focuses on three main areas: the identification of the microorganisms which cause structural damage; methods to reduce or prevent microbial colonization and damage; and the use of microorganisms for the protection and bioremediation of cultural artifacts.