Fungal Biodeterioration Risk in Monastic Libraries without Climate Control.

Fungi have always posed an unquestionable threat to heritage collections worldwide. Now, in a future of climate change, biological risk factors may have to be considered even more than before. Models and simulations to assess possible impacts a changing outdoor climate will have on indoor environments and, in turn, on biodeterioration are still underdeveloped and require a more substantial data basis.

Diversity of fungi associated with petroglyph sites in the Negev Desert, Israel, and their potential role in bioweathering.

The petroglyphs of the Negev Desert, Israel, are famous and valuable archaeological remains. Previous studies have investigated the microbial communities associated with petroglyphs and their potential role in stone deterioration; nevertheless, the role of fungi remains unclear. In this study, the fungal communities present on the stone and, as a comparison, in the surrounding environment (soil and air) at Negev petroglyph sites were analyzed by means of culture-dependent and -independent (metagenomic) techniques.

Trichocoleus desertorum isolated from Negev desert petroglyphs: Characterization, adaptation and bioerosion potential.

The Negev petroglyphs are considered valuable cultural heritage sites, but unfortunately, they are exposed to deterioration processes caused by anthropogenic and natural forces. Despite the many studies that have already pointed to the role of cyanobacteria in biogenic rock weathering, the knowledge involved in the process is still lacking. In this study, a cyanobacterial strain was isolated from the Negev Desert petroglyphs aiming to reveal its involvement in geochemical cycles and in the weathering processes of the rock substrate.

Pretty in pink? Complementary strategies for analysing pink biofilms on historical buildings.

Salt-weathering is a deterioration mechanism affecting building materials that results from repetitive cycles of salt crystallisation-dissolution in the porous mineral network under changing environmental conditions, causing damage to surfaces. However, an additional biodeterioration phenomenon frequently associated with salt efflorescence is the appearance of coloured biofilms, comprising halotolerant/halophilic microorganisms, containing carotenoid pigments that cause pinkish patinas. In this work, two Austrian historical salt-weathered buildings showing pink biofilms, the St.

Optimizing cultivation conditions for the highest expression of fungal allergens.

Background: Any reliable allergy diagnosis depends on the quality of the testing material. In the case of fungal allergy, fungal extracts, typically used as test solutions, exhibit considerable differences in their allergenicity. Better knowledge of fungal allergen expression would enable the production of diagnostic fungal extracts of higher quality and, thus, improve the specificity and sensitivity of fungal allergy diagnosis.

Shockwaves Increase In Vitro Resilience of Biofilm under Amphotericin B Treatment.

Acoustical biophysical therapies, including ultrasound, radial pressure waves, and shockwaves, have been shown to harbor both a destructive and regenerative potential depending on physical treatment parameters. Despite the clinical relevance of fungal biofilms, little work exits comparing the efficacy of these modalities on the destruction of fungal biofilms. This study evaluates the impact of acoustical low-frequency ultrasound, radial pressure waves, and shockwaves on the viability and proliferation of in vitro biofilm under Amphotericin B induced apoptosis.

Data Fusion Approach to Simultaneously Evaluate the Degradation Process Caused by Ozone and Humidity on Modern Paint Materials.

The knowledge of the atmospheric degradation reactions affecting the stability of modern materials is still of current interest. In fact, environmental parameters, such as relative humidity (RH), temperature, and pollutant agents, often fluctuate due to natural or anthropogenic climatic changes. This study focuses on evaluating analytical and statistical strategies to investigate the degradation processes of acrylic and styrene-acrylic paints after exposure to ozone (O) and RH.

Multi-Analytical Investigations of Andy Warhol's "": Polymeric Materials in Modern Paints.

This work presents strategic multi-analytical investigations performed on "" by Andy Warhol in order to make a well-informed conservation decision. For determining the type of binding medium used in the artwork, Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and Thermally Assisted Hydrolysis and Methylation of GC/MS (THM-GC/MS) were employed. The presence of a coating was investigated by Py-GC/MS.

A Multi-Analytical Approach for Studying the Effect of New LED Lighting Systems on Modern Paints: Chemical Stability Investigations.

This study aims to investigate the chemical stability of some modern paint samples exposed to a new Light Emitting Diode (LED)-lighting system and a halogen lamp by using micro-attenuated total reflectance of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µ-ATR-FTIR), µ-Raman, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation of GC/MS (THM-GC/MS). Those investigations were performed before and after the exposure of the samples to lightings for 1250, 2400, 3300, and 5000 h. The results obtained with µ-Raman spectroscopy show the high stability of the selected inorganic pigments after the exposure to the lighting systems; while similar to the UV/Vis/NIR results reported in a previous study, µ-ATR-FTIR and THM-GC/MS results evidence greater chemical changes occurring principally on the linseed oil binder-based mock-ups among the acrylic and alkyd-based samples.

The effect of new LED lighting systems on the colour of modern paints.

This research focuses on the investigation of the effect of a new light emitting diode (LED)-lighting system which reproduces indoor museum conditions, on some self-made art paint colours (acrylic-, alkyd-, and linseed oil-based paints) often used in modern-contemporary art. A halogen lamp representing a traditional light source for museum lighting was also considered. Lighting-set-up and lighting optimization parameters were considered while Ultraviolet/Visible/Near Infrared (UV/Vis/NIR) spectrophotometry was used for investigating the colour change of the paint samples.

What about Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) Foam in Modern-Contemporary Art? Insights into the Unaged and Naturally Aged Material by a Multi-Analytical Approach.

The ageing behavior of phenol formaldehyde (PF) foam, a material increasingly used in modern-contemporary art, was investigated by a multi-analytical approach. PF foams with open- and closed-cell structures were selected and analyzed in their unaged and naturally indoor-aged state by employing optical microscopy (OM) and fiber optical reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) for assessing their morphology and color alteration. Micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) was used for determining chemical changes and oxidation processes, and the acidity was monitored by pH measurements.

Effects of Simulated Microgravity on the Proteome and Secretome of the Polyextremotolerant Black Fungus .

Black fungi are a group of melanotic microfungi characterized by remarkable polyextremotolerance. Due to a broad ecological plasticity and adaptations at the cellular level, it is predicted that they may survive in a variety of extreme environments, including harsh niches on Earth and Mars, and in outer space. However, the molecular mechanisms aiding survival, especially in space, are yet to be fully elucidated.

Natural sciences at the service of art and cultural heritage: an interdisciplinary area in development and important challenges.

Our cultural heritage is a common asset that tells the story of our shared past, is part of our origin and identity and has wide social relevance. Our works of art and our heritage must be enjoyed, appreciated and preserved for future generations. To this end, a wide and varied group of professionals, including conservators, restorers, curators, bibliographers, historians, archivists, but also scientists, such as biologists, chemists, physicists and bioinformaticians, work side by side to preserve our cultural heritage.

Shed Light in the DaRk LineagES of the Fungal Tree of Life-STRES.

The polyphyletic group of black fungi within the Ascomycota (Arthoniomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes) is ubiquitous in natural and anthropogenic habitats. Partly because of their dark, melanin-based pigmentation, black fungi are resistant to stresses including UV- and ionizing-radiation, heat and desiccation, toxic metals, and organic pollutants. Consequently, they are amongst the most stunning extremophiles and poly-extreme-tolerant organisms on Earth.

An Overview of Genomics, Phylogenomics and Proteomics Approaches in Ascomycota.

Fungi are among the most successful eukaryotes on Earth: they have evolved strategies to survive in the most diverse environments and stressful conditions and have been selected and exploited for multiple aims by humans. The characteristic features intrinsic of Fungi have required evolutionary changes and adaptations at deep molecular levels. Omics approaches, nowadays including genomics, metagenomics, phylogenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics have enormously advanced the way to understand fungal diversity at diverse taxonomic levels, under changeable conditions and in still under-investigated environments.

The Microbiome of Leonardo da Vinci's Drawings: A Bio-Archive of Their History.

Seven emblematic Leonardo da Vinci's drawings were investigated through third generation sequencing technology (Nanopore). In addition, SEM analyses were carried out to acquire photographic documentation and to infer the nature of the micro-objects removed from the surface of the drawings. The Nanopore generated microbiomes can be used as a "bio-archive" of the drawings, offering a kind of fingerprint for current and future biological comparisons.

Author Correction: Shotgun proteomics reveals putative polyesterases in the secretome of the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia chersonesos.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Shotgun proteomics reveals putative polyesterases in the secretome of the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia chersonesos.

Knufia chersonesos is an ascomycotal representative of black fungi, a morphological group of polyextremotolerant melanotic fungi, whose ability to resort to recalcitrant carbon sources makes it an interesting candidate for degradation purposes. A secretome screening towards polyesterases was carried out for the fungus and its non-melanized mutant, grown in presence of the synthetic copolyester Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) as additional or sole carbon source, and resulted in the identification of 37 esterolytic and lipolytic enzymes across the established cultivation conditions. Quantitative proteomics allowed to unveil 9 proteins being constitutively expressed at all conditions and 7 which were instead detected as up-regulated by PBAT exposure.

Decoding the biological information contained in two ancient Slavonic parchment codices: an added historical value.

This study provides an example in the emerging field of biocodicology showing how metagenomics can help answer relevant questions that may contribute to a better understanding of the history of ancient manuscripts. To this end, two Slavonic codices dating from the 11th century were investigated through shotgun metagenomics. Endogenous DNA enabled to infer the animal origin of the skins used in the manufacture of the two codices, while nucleic sequences recovered from viruses were investigated for the first time in this material, opening up new possibilities in the field of biocodicology.

Peculiar genomic traits in the stress-adapted cryptoendolithic Antarctic fungus Friedmanniomyces endolithicus.

Friedmanniomyces endolithicus is a highly melanized fungus endemic to the Antarctic, occurring exclusively in endolithic communities of the ice-free areas of the Victoria Land, including the McMurdo Dry Valleys, the coldest and most hyper-arid desert on Earth and accounted as the Martian analog on our planet. F. endolithicus is highly successful in these inhospitable environments, the most widespread and commonly isolated species from these peculiar niches, indicating a high degree of adaptation.

Back to the Salt Mines: Genome and Transcriptome Comparisons of the Halophilic Fungus and Its Halotolerant Relative .

Salt mines are among the most extreme environments as they combine darkness, low nutrient availability, and hypersaline conditions. Based on comparative genomics and transcriptomics, we describe in this work the adaptive strategies of the true halophilic fungus , found in a salt mine in Austria, and compare this strain to the ex-type halotolerant fungal strain . On a genomic level, exhibits a reduced genome size compared to , as well as a contraction of genes involved in transport processes.