A detailed look at the microorganisms that colonize, and degrade, a 400-year-old painting

(PLOS) What's a feast for the human eye may be a literal feast for microorganisms that colonize works of art, according to a new study in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Elisabetta Caselli of the University of Ferrara, Italy, and colleagues. The researchers characterized the microbial community on a 17th century painting and showed that while some microbes destroy such works of art, others might be employed to protect them.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology https://ift.tt/2QcGmnn