Microbiological Tools for Cultural Heritage Conservation

Culture and cultural heritage are the imprints of human civilization and architectural depiction of society and cultures. Antique documents and cultural heritages such as historic buildings, monuments, manuscripts and paintings are brittle and undergo physical, chemical and biological deterioration during the course of time. Escalating air pollution and global warming are the main cause of deterioration of stone monuments and artworks. The deterioration process can be restored by employing various microbiological tools such as biocleaning, biomineralization, biocementation and biofilm formation. This chapter summarizes eco-friendly microbiological approaches used to restore cultural heritages, archaeological sites and wall paintings.