Melding the Old with the New: Trends in Methods Used to Identify, Monitor, and Control Microorganisms on Cultural Heritage Materials.
Microbial activity has an important impact on the maintenance of cultural heritage materials, owing to the key role of microorganisms in many deterioration processes. In order to minimize such deleterious effects, there is a need to fine-tune methods that detect and characterize microorganisms. Trends in microbiology indicate that this need can be met by incorporating modern techniques. All of the methods considered in this review paper are employed in the identification, surveillance, and control of microorganisms, and they have two points in common: They are currently used in microbial ecology (only literature from 2009 to 2015 is included), and they are often applied in the cultural heritage sector. More than 75 peer-reviewed journal articles addressing three different approaches were considered: molecular, sensory and morphological, and biocontrol methods. The goal of this review is to highlight the usefulness of the traditional as well as the modern methods. The general theme in the literature cited suggests using an integrated approach.
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 58 Oxford St., Room 301, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Patricia
P
Sanmartín
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 58 Oxford St., Room 301, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Alice
A
DeAraujo
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 58 Oxford St., Room 301, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. archanav@seas.harvard.edu.
Archana
A
Vasanthakumar
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018441:Biofilms; D004463:Ecology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D057075:Enzyme Assays / Q000379:methods; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D064307:Microbiota; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D058889:Molecular Typing / Q000379:methods; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
Biodeterioration; Biofilms; DNA; Destructive and non-destructive techniques; Fungi; Microbial growth and survival; Microorganisms; RNA