Microbes for Archaeological Wood Conservation

Abstract

This project focuses on innovative biological methods of extraction for the preservation of waterlogged wood suffering from salt precipitation and acidification. The principal investigator and her team proposed to exploit biomineralization capacities of some bacteria for anticipating the extraction of iron and sulfur compounds when wood is still wet. A comprehensive assessment of the extraction performances achieved on wood objects from lake and marine environments will allow a versatile extraction method to be proposed to end-users.