MEMBER INFORMATION
Cecilia G. Flocco is an interdisciplinary scientist and technology consultant working at the intersection of life and environmental sciences with cultural heritage research. She is currently based in Braunschweig, Germany, conducting research at the Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, one of the largest biological resources centers worldwide. Her current research interests encompass understanding the dynamics of microbial communities in extreme environments and niche habitats, such as polar regions (Antarctica) and cultural legacy objects, and advancing interdisciplinary approaches to cultural heritage research.
ABM CONFERENCES
Poster Presenter
The microbiome of a XIV century medieval codex: are microbes part of cultural heritage objects?
ABM MEMBER EVENTS
PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS
Lukas M Simon [1], Cecilia Flocco [2], Franziska Burkart [2], Anika Methner [2], David Henke [3], Luise Rauer [4, 5 6], Christian L Müller [6], Johannes Vogel [7], Christiane Quaisser [7], Jörg Overmann 2, Stefan Simon [8]
Microbial fingerprints reveal interaction between museum objects, curators, and visitors
Microbial communities reside at the interface between humans and their environment. Whether the microbiome can be leveraged to gain information on human interaction with museum objects is unclear. To investigate this, we selected objects from the Museum für Naturkunde and the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin, Germany, varying in material and size. Using swabs, we collected 126 samples from natural and cultural heritage objects, which were analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing. By comparing the microbial composition of touched and untouched objects, we identified a microbial signature associated with human skin microbes. Applying this signature to cultural heritage objects, we identified areas with varying degrees of exposure to human contact on the Ishtar gate and Sam'al gate lions. Furthermore, we differentiated objects touched by two different individuals. Our findings demonstrate that the microbiome of museum objects provides insights into the level of human contact, crucial for conservation, heritage science, and potentially provenance research.