23-06-2017 15:17 via feedproxy.google.com

The World's Historic Artworks Are Under Attack - By Monstrous Microorganisms!

Notwithstanding our horror-movie headline, this is a serious issue. "These tiny invaders" - bacteria, fungi, even algae - "have wrought catastrophic damage on historic sites like the Lascaux cave paintings in France and the Titanic - [which] is being devoured by a tenacious species of metal-hungry bacteria. That's why scientists and conservators are working to identify what kinds of bacteria are colonizing an artifact, purge them, and make sure they cannot return. Some are even enlisting bacteri
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