Microbes and Cultural Heritage: From Biodiversity to Applications

Microbial biodiversity plays a critical role in the preservation and deterioration of cultural heritage (CH) objects. Museums, archives, and historical sites are constantly battling the effects of microbial colonization, which can lead to significant damage. Understanding the diversity, behavior, and impact of these microorganisms is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. Recent advances in microbiology, including ~omics technologies and bioinformatics, have provided new insights into the complex interactions between microbes and heritage materials, offering innovative approaches to their preservation.

This Research Topic aims to tackle the challenges posed by microbial activity on CH objects by exploring the biodiversity of these microorganisms and their potential applications in conservation. We seek to understand the mechanisms by which microbes contribute to the deterioration of cultural assets and to identify strategies to mitigate these effects. This Research Topic will also explore the potential beneficial applications of microbes in conservation, such as using biosensors, biocontrol agents, or microbial-based treatments to restore and preserve CH objects.

We particularly encourage detailed experimental approaches and discussions of the practical implications for CH conservation. Contributions should aim to bridge the gap between microbiology and heritage science, offering insights that are both scientifically robust and applicable to real-world conservation challenges.

We welcome Original Research, Review and Mini Review articles exploring the following themes:
• Identification and characterization of microbial communities on CH objects (culturable and non-culturable approaches);
• Mechanisms of microbial deterioration, including biofilm formation and enzymatic degradation;
• Environmental factors influencing microbial colonization and activity on heritage materials (such as illumination conditions in a museum);
• Novel functions and molecules found in these unexplored microbial ecosystems;
• Innovative methods for detecting and monitoring microbial activity on CH objects: genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, high-resolution microscopy and other imaging technologies;
• Development and application of microbial-based conservation strategies;
• Successful microbial management and conservation efforts in museums and historical sites.

Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Preservation of cultural heritage, Microbial colonization, Microbiome analysis in heritage, Conservation strategies, Biofilm formation, Historical sites, Cultural preservation, Innovative microbial management

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.