Biological Challenges in Cultural Heritage Conservation: From Biopatinas to Higher Plants and Their Diversity, Mechanisms, Control, and Management
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 141
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biodeterioration of cultural heritage; applied mycology; black fungi; environmental microbiology; biodegradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In contemporary societies, cultural heritage has a leading role in the promotion of important values such as knowledge, respect for diversity, intercultural dialogue, as well as economic and social growth. Therefore, the adoption of appropriate strategies for preserving cultural heritage is of the utmost importance.
Biological agents occupy a wide variety of ecological niches in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Thanks to their outstanding metabolic flexibility, they can play a vital role in the breakdown of an extensive range of substrates and materials, whether they are organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic. Fungi, phototrophic microorganisms, bacteria, as well as plants and insects, can colonize surfaces and a wide range of cultural heritage materials, transforming heritage sites and artefacts into small ecosystems and causing structural and aesthetic damage. Hence, their presence represents a major challenge for the conservation of cultural heritage, requiring the implementation of appropriate preventive and restorative measures. However, biological growth may in some cases also exert a protective effect.
Knowing the species involved in biodeterioration and identifying them is undeniably an asset. Nevertheless, it is usually not enough to reveal the complete picture of the ecological interactions, biophysical processes, and effects of these interactions on heritage materials. The presence of these living organisms on cultural artefacts represents a concern that biologists and conservators must tackle together. Therefore, developing safe, effective, and environmentally friendly protocols to stop or mitigate biological impact has become a critical task in the field of cultural heritage preservation.
This Special Issue aims to publish outstanding papers demonstrating cutting-edge advances in methods for studying and controlling organisms involved in the biodeterioration of cultural heritage.
Dr. Daniela Isola
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- yeast
- moulds
- microfungi
- black fungi
- canvas deterioration
- lichens
- stone monuments
- wall paintings
- wooden artefacts
- waterlogged archaeological wood
- paper
- parchment
- textile conservation
- leather
- mummies
- paintings
- glass
- biocides
- essential oils
- physical control methods
- eco-friendly biocide
- underwater archaeological site
- low-impact methods
- vegetation control
- IPM-integrated pest control
- mosaics
- pink patinas
- cyanobacteria
- phototrophs
- bacteria
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