MEMBERS Reset Filters Filter by surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N P R S T V W Y Laura Allen Member Information Participant 2021 Cecil Krarup Andersen Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Lauren Audi Member Information Participant 2023, Poster Presenter 2021 Beatrice Behlen Member Information Team Presenter 2023 Seminar Series Presenter 2023 Aniko Bezur Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Ilaria Bonaduce Member Information Participant 2018, 2021 Nylah Byrd Member Information Community Coordinator 2023 Ellen Carrlee Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Yueh-Ting Chiu Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Lauren Clark Member Information Participant 2023 Matthew Collins Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Annamaria Cucina Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Lauren Dalecky Member Information Team Presenter 2023 Sofie Dierickx Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Kate Duffy Member Information Participant 2021 Sarah Fiddyment Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Cecilia Flocco Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Niv Allon Member Information Participant 2021 Ruth Ann Armitage Member Information Participant 2023 Lyudmyla Babadzhanova Member Information Participant 2023, Admin Coordinator 2023-2025 Daniella Berman Member Information Participant 2023 Trish Biers Member Information Speaker April 2025 Roundtable Caroline Bouvier Member Information Participant 2021 Sheila Canby Member Information Participant 2018 Laura Cartechini Member Information Speaker 2018 Sue Ann Chui Member Information Steering Committee 2018 Elizabeth Cleland Member Information Participant 2021 Laura Courto Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Matt Cushman Member Information Participant 2018 Jan Dekker Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Patrick Dietemann Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Margaret Holben Ellis Member Information Co-organizer 2018, 2021 Eugenia Geddes Da Filicaia Member Information Participant 2021 Manu Frederickx Member Information Participant 2021 Alba Alvarez Member Information Participant 2021 Julie Arslanoglu Member Information Co-organizer 2018-2023 Camilla Jul Bastholm Member Information Seminar Series Presenter 2024 Barbara Berrie Member Information Steering Committee 2018 Kyna Biggs Member Information Participant 2023 Lisa Bruno Member Information Participant 2021 Anthony Caragiulo Member Information Participant 2021 Oi Yan Michelle Chan Member Information Team Presenter 2023 Tami Lasseter Clare Member Information Team Presenter 2021 Timothy Cleland Member Information Speaker 2018 Ashley Coutu Member Information Poster Presenter 2021 Elke Cwiertnia Member Information Participant 2021 Adam DiBattista Member Information Participant 2023 Seminar Series Presenter 2022 Laurence Douny Member Information Member Conversations Presenter 2024 Steering Committee 2023 Jean Evans Member Information Participant 2018 Robin Fleming Member Information Speaker April 2025 Roundtable Jessica French Member Information Seminar Series Presenter 2024 First Prev 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4 Next Last

Events run by and for Art Bio Matter members. Participate in open conversations, seminars and round tables. COMMUNITY Projects Publications Member Events Members MEMBER EVENTS Member events are specially organized by Art Bio Matters member and volunteers. They are intended to strengthen connections between members and help them find new colleagues to discuss research questions and concerns. Depending on the format, members will present current research projects, share open questions, and lead exchanges of information where the main goal is to improve the ways in which we understand biological materials in material heritage culture. The following are members-only events. Registration links will be sent directly to ABM members through Slack and Email. SEMINAR SERIES Join us for monthly informal presentations on topics in biological material studies integrating science with conservation, history, culture, and/or other human sciences. Seminars take place every third Thursday and feature a 20-minute presentation by the speaker(s), followed by lively discussion with ABM community members. This platform allows you to share your area of interest, ongoing project, or seek collaboration outside your field. Submissions are reviewed continuously. Can't attend live? Recordings are available for one month to ABM members. Clothomics as a new approach to the study of archaeological textiles and animal skins To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Laura Cristina Viñas Caron Over the past decades, the range of scientific methods that contribute to the study of ancient cloth materials has expanded dramatically. The emerging field of uses biomolecular techniques such as proteomics and genomics to study the raw materials used in cloth production. These analyses not only identify the animal species behind textiles, leather or fur, but also reveal new insights into the domestication, management, and refinement of animals used in textile production, such as sheep. In doing so, clothomics helps us better understand past identities, animal economies, manufacturing processes, trade networks, or landscape use. This presentation will introduce the exciting world of clothomics, offer practical guidance on how to apply genomic and proteomic techniques to ancient cloth, and share a series of case studies that highlight what these methods can reveal about our shared past. Thursday, October 23, 2025, 11:00 am ET Learn more ROUND TABLE Q&A round tables offer a unique opportunity to tap into the expertise within our diverse community. A small group of ABM members will each share current or on-going questions related to the biological materials of an object(s) in a brief (5-minute) description or presentation. This is followed by dynamic discussions with attendees, fostering knowledge exchange, brain storming, and opportunities for collaboration. Perceptions of Human Remains - Continued To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Robin Fleming, Annelize Kotze, and Trish Biers Following the overwhelming response to our March 27th session. We are pleased to announce an upcoming online Roundtable discussion on the topic of human remains in museums, cultural centers, and religious spaces. This session will offer an opportunity to examine the ongoing ethical and practical challenges surrounding the display, handling, storage, treatment, and scientific analysis of human remains. It will also provide a space to share diverse institutional experiences and foster thoughtful dialogue across disciplines. 
Our goal is to generate actionable insights that can support professionals navigating these responsibilities, and to encourage a respectful, informed approach to working with human remains in varied contexts. We welcome participants from across the field to join us for what promises to be a meaningful and necessary conversation. Thursday, April 24, 2025, 11:00 am ET ABM MEMBER CONVERSATIONS These informal conversations will explore the cross-disciplinary collaboration and research opportunities that define ABM. They aim to enhance our understanding of the diverse roles held by ABM members, spur collaborations, try out ideas, and explore new areas of study. Each conversation features two members, each from a different specialty (e.g., a curator and a scientist), who have not collaborated but have overlapping but not identical research interests. They will engage in a conversation based on three questions for each other, followed by audience discussion and questions. ABM Member Conversations - March 2025 To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Kat McFarlin & Cynthia Hahn In this conservation event, Kat McFarlin and Cynthia Hahn will engage in discussion about how practices around interacting with bodily remains vary across cultures and time periods. Cynthia Hahn is Distinguished Professor of Art History at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. She has published extensively on reliquaries (including those of other cultures, but primarily Western medieval). Katherine "Kat" McFarlin is a cultural heritage conservator at the American Museum of Natural History, primarily supporting the Musem's Human Remains Collection Care Program. Thursday, March 27th, 2025 11:00 am ET OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE ABM members get to participate in a variety of ways. Don't miss your chance to network! Why join the Art Bio Matters community? Members of the ABM community enjoy many benefits, regardless of their area of interest. Our website and Slack workspace have something for everyone: Communicate through the ABM Slack workspace Connect with colleagues, discuss research questions, and network in the ABM Slack community. Visit our Join the Community tab for more information. Join the Community Participate in an ABM meeting ABM has biennial conferences sharing ongoing research through a dynamic forum of exchange. Visit the ABM Meetings tab for more information. ABM Meetings Build the ABM website We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested to do any of the following: Share a project Provide a link to your publications, projects, or Opportunities to share with potential partners. Educate and reach out Provide a link to a case study or video that applies to our Materials, Instrumentation, Ethics, and Sampling pages. Anchor 1 Why join the Art Bio Matters community? Members of the ABM community enjoy many benefits, regardless of their area of interest. Our website and Slack workspace have something for everyone: Access ABM 2018, 2021, and 2023 conference recordings and background materials. Join us and become a part of the ABM c ommunity

Many products can be made from animal skin, such as parchment, vellum, and leather. By treating the collagen matrix of skin with different chemical processes (i.e. lime, tanning, etc.), the properties of the skin can be modified. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Animal skin Many products can be made from animal skin, such as parchment, vellum, and leather. By treating the collagen matrix of skin with different chemical processes (i.e. lime, tanning, etc.), the properties of the skin can be modified. Previous Next Back to Materials Coming Soon We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested in building the ABM website.

Art Bio Matters strives to proactively support and engage a community of curators/cultural historians, scientists, and conservators through a dedicated website, Slack workspace, and biannual meetings. MEETINGS 2023 | On Site Event Past Meetings Sponsors ABM 2023 JULY 19-21, 2023 Hosted by the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art ABM 2023 brought together a balanced community of experts for a dynamic forum for exchange. The goal of the ABM 2023 meeting was to nurture and grow the community that was established in previous meetings and through recent virtual programming. Key to the meeting was the updating of the website, which serves as a communication hub to identify connections between advanced scientific approaches (e.g., genomic, mass-spectrometry, antibody-based, and other techniques) and open research questions, thereby fostering focused and mutually beneficial collaborations, as well as providing educational resources. An important concern this year is also to secure funding for the continuation of ABM into the future. View meeting details PAST MEETINGS Art Bio Matters began assembling in 2018. You may view the details of our previous meetings here. If you would like to attend ABM meetings in the future, join the ABM community so you can hear the latest news from us. past meeting ABM 2021 The virtual ABM 2021 meeting aimed to bring together a balanced community of experts for a dynamic forum for exchange. The goal of the ABM 2021 meeting was to nurture and grow the community that was established in 2018. Key to the meeting was the development of an updated website, which will serve as a communication hub to identify connections between advanced scientific approaches (e.g., DNA, mass-spectrometry, and antibody-based) and open research questions, thereby fostering focused and mutually beneficial collaborations, as well as providing educational resources. View details ABM 2018 Art Bio Matters 2018 aimed to assemble, for the first time, scientists, curators/art historians, and conservators for a stimulating forum to explore new directions in the study of biological materials in works of art. Through guided and balanced discussions, participants identified connections between advanced DNA, mass-spectrometric, and antibody-based approaches and their own research questions, thereby, facilitating focused and mutually beneficial collaborations. View details sponsors SPONSORS A special thanks to the RLF for their support of Art Bio Matters.

A Cross-Disciplinary Hub for Biological Materials Research in Cultural Heritage ABOUT ABM Get in Touch Join the Community WHO WE ARE Art Bio Matters (ABM) is a dynamic and expanding gathering of curators, cultural historians, conservators, and scientists dedicated to exploring diverse research methodologies, perspectives, and objectives in the study of biological materials within cultural heritage collections. Here, your unique viewpoint is highly valued, whether you aim to enhance preservation, deepen analysis, or enrich interpretation. While rooted in the core disciplines of science, curatorial practice, and conservation, ABM enthusiastically embraces all participants interested in the exploration of cultural heritage studies. WHAT WE DO Art Bio Matters takes proactive steps to foster and empower a vibrant community of curators, cultural historians, conservators, and scientists through various platforms including a dedicated website, Slack workspace, and biannual gatherings. At artbiomatters.org, you can freely access educational resources, discover exciting opportunities, delve into descriptions of advanced scientific methodologies such as DNA analysis, mass spectrometry, and antibody-based techniques, explore historical and conservation materials, ponder open-ended research inquiries, and engage with emerging ethical considerations, among other offerings. We extend a warm invitation for you to join us, embark on a journey of exploration and learning, and share your invaluable expertise. As our website continues to evolve, we eagerly welcome suggestions and contributions to ensure that we effectively cater to the needs of our growing community. WHAT WE BELIEVE We believe that the identification and understanding of biological materials within collections is best achieved through active education and collaboration. In pursuit of this vision, Art Bio Matters (ABM) is guided by foundational principles that underpin our mission: Embrace the inclusive participation of specialists across all three disciplines—curatorship/cultural history, conservation, and science 1 2 3 4 Conduct candid evaluations of past projects, considering both logistical and aspirational aspects, to effectively prioritize crucial areas of study and optimize resource allocation. Cultivate curiosity, respect, and recognition for the invaluable contributions of each discipline to the field of cultural heritage studies. Foster an open environment in which the value of data from scientific analysis for non-scientific audiences is both debated and shared. By joining ABM, you gain access to our vibrant Slack workspace—a hub where you can connect with fellow members, engage in discussions on diverse topics, share noteworthy research findings, explore job opportunities, and stay informed about upcoming events. Additionally, you will receive exclusive invitations to our esteemed speaker series and updates regarding our highly anticipated biannual conferences. HISTORY OF ART BIO MATTERS Thanks to funding provided by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, ABM organized the first meeting of its kind to purposefully bring together a balanced group of science, conservation, and curatorial/cultural history representatives for open discussion and debate about the contributions of advanced DNA, proteomic, and antibody‐based techniques to the study of biological materials found in cultural heritage collections. This innovative, by-invitation-only meeting, which brought together 40 international specialists was co-hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York University. The ABM 2018 meeting was inaugurated by a public plenary session, Biological Material Matters in Works of Art, presented by Dr. Barbara Berrie , Head of Scientific Research, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Eight speakers were selected by a nine-person ABM 2018 Steering Committee to address pre-determined topics, including instrumentation, sampling techniques, and relevance to the information desired by conservators, historians, and curators. ABM 2018 resulted in the emergence of a cohesive and enthusiastic community, as well as the original artbiomatters.org website. It also accentuated the essential role of collaborative deliberations to maximize efforts to study, interpret, present, and preserve material cultural heritage. Advancements since 2018 have only reinforced the need for communication and continued discourse among all stakeholders. Engaging Dialogue Connection + Partnership Community Driven Why join the Art Bio Matters community? Members of the ABM community enjoy many benefits, regardless of their area of interest. Our website and Slack workspace have something for everyone: Access ABM 2018, 2021, and 2023 conference recordings and background materials. Anchor 1 Communicate through the ABM Slack workspace Connect with colleagues, discuss research questions, and network in the ABM Slack community. Visit our Join the Community tab for more information. Join the Community Participate in an ABM meeting ABM has biannual conferences sharing ongoing research through a dynamic forum of exchange. Visit the ABM Meetings tab for more information. ABM Meetings Build the ABM website We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested to do any of the following: Share a project Give a talk Provide a link to your publications, projects, or Opportunities to share with potential partners. Present an update on current projects through ABM's webinar lecture series. Educate and reach out Provide a link to a case study or video that applies to our Materials, Instrumentation, Ethics, and Sampling pages. Join and Help Build Art Bio Matters!

Lacquer is a hard coating applied to an object, often for decorative purposes. The materials and techniques of producing lacquer differ greatly by region. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Lacquer Lacquer is a hard coating applied to an object, often for decorative purposes. The materials and techniques of producing lacquer differ greatly by region. Previous Next Back to Materials Coming Soon We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested in building the ABM website.

Over time, dust, pollen, yeast, bacteria, etc. continue to be deposited and accumulate on the surface of objects providing a history of an objects lifetime since creation. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Surface History (Biome) Over time, dust, pollen, yeast, bacteria, etc. continue to be deposited and accumulate on the surface of objects providing a history of an objects lifetime since creation. Previous Next Back to Materials Coming Soon We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested in building the ABM website.

Plant fibers such as linen and cotton are made of cellulose, a natural polysaccharide, specifically a polymer of the sugar molecule glucose, produced by plants. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Plant Fibers Plant fibers such as linen and cotton are made of cellulose, a natural polysaccharide, specifically a polymer of the sugar molecule glucose, produced by plants. Previous Next Back to Materials Coming Soon We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested in building the ABM website.

Find collaborators. Share your ongoing work related to art, cultural history, scientific analysis, and art conservation. If you have a project to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org. COMMUNITY Projects Projects Publications Member Events Members Publications PROJECTS Find collaborators. Share your ongoing work related to art, cultural history, scientific analysis, and art conservation. If you have a project to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org . Immaterial: Chia - Beyond superfoods and infomercials. Julie Arslanoglu For centuries, one of the most prized mediums of art at museums like The Met has been oil painting, a European tradition embodied by the so-called “Old Masters.” This is the story of how the oil of the chia seed—yes, the same one that’s a staple add-on for smoothies and acai bowls—and its origins in Mexico could help us look at oil painting and our world with fresh eyes. Explore Provenance determination of archaeological ochre by 16S rRNA sequencing microbial composition Rachel S. Popelka-Filcoff [1], Claire E. Lenehan [2], Shanan S. Tobe [3] Data from 16S rRNA sequencing studies provide profiles of ochre sources that are both independent of and complementary to elemental and mineralogical analyses. We have demonstrated the clear discrimination between four geographically and mineralogically distinct Australian cultural ochre sites. This work demonstrates that trace microbial content in archaeological samples provide a yet unexploited source of information for provenance studies and outlines the possibilities towards the application to other culturally important geological materials. Explore Non-proximate Ambient Mass Spectrometry Sampling of Large, Intact Cultural Heritage Objects G. Asher Newsome [1], Kathleen Martin [2] Ambient mass spectrometry ion sources can sample from an intact object at atmospheric pressure, but they require the analyte to be close to an MS inlet and therefore cannot accommodate large objects. We constructed a non-proximate sampling system to thermally desorb analyte molecules from large, intact objects using a heated gas jet. Material is transferred 2 m to a custom-mounted direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source. Explore Decolonizing Crocodylian Collections: Developing a model system for bridging indigenous and Eurocentric perspectives on culturally and economically important species in museum holdings Evon Hekkala The project focuses on using archival research on cultural heritage collections containing crocodiles as a model to resurface and to integrate Indigenous historical archival narratives and to re-attribute knowledge from source and descendent communities. Explore Human bone points from Mesolithic Doggerland Joannes Dekker [1]; Virginie Sinet-Mathiot [2]; Merel Spithoven [3]; Bjorn Smit [4]; Arndt Wilcke [5]; Frido Welker [6,2]; Alexander Verpoorte [1]; and Marie Soressi [1,2] Raw material selection is the first step of an object’s use life and provides us valuable information on an artefact’s place in the larger toolkit. However, the species of osseous artefacts is often difficult to identify. By applying ZooMS we found evidence for the selection of human bone for the production of Mesolithic barbed points from Doggerland and hypothesise that this represents a deliberate and meaningful choice by the Mesolithic inhabitants of Doggerland. Explore Overlooked Organics in Decorative Arts: Cataloguing Winterthur’s Hard Matrices and Collagen-Based Organics Rosie Grayburn, Lara Kaplan, Katie Lagarde, Catherine Matsen, and Ann Wagner Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library was awarded an NEH grant to catalogue “overlooked organic” objects in the collection through physical identification and analytical research. This project focuses on cataloguing a group of objects with a high standard of accuracy, acquiring information through visual and scientific analysis, research, and expert consultation. The work is a collaboration between curatorial, conservation, and scientific staff to understand findings within the craft context for each object. Explore Beasts to Craft: Biocodicology as a new approach to the study of parchment manuscripts Explore

1ab64759-4f6f-4e91-a85a-5e800f2f980a RESOURCES Glossaries + Databases Glossaries + Databases Reference Materials Reference Materials Scientific Resources Scientific Resources Videos + Lectures Videos + Lectures Journals + Publications Journals + Publications Coming Soon Explore reference collections and databases of materials and samples assembled by cultural institutions. REFERENCE MATERIALS Asian Textile Database Asian Textile Database: inventory of textiles used to mount East Asian paintings and calligraphy scrolls and screens at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, in Washington, DC. Explore Videos + Lectures CSR reference collection National Museum of Asian Art CSR reference collection: more than 3,000 samples from a variety of sources available for comparison and analysis. Explore Videos + Lectures Dye Analysis Database Dye Analysis Database: analyses of reference dye materials and analyses of samples from cultural artifacts that have been carried out by liquid chromatography, generally coupled with diode array and mass spectrometer detectors (LC/DAD/MS) Explore Videos + Lectures FRIL Fiber Reference Image Library (FRIL): a database of images of textile fibers acquired through the use of multiple microscopic techniques. Explore Videos + Lectures Forbes Pigment Database Forbes Pigment Database: 3000 colorants assembled by the late Edward Waldo Forbes, former Director of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. Explore Videos + Lectures GCI Reference Collection Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) Reference Collection: repository of reference materials for use in the analysis of art objects. Explore Videos + Lectures Heritage Science Laboratory Ljubljana The HSLL houses a number of Reference Material Collections. All have been acquired commercially and through donations for the purpose of heritage science research projects and their value is purely scientific. Explore Videos + Lectures Islamic Paper Collection A collection of 230 paper samples was gathered from various commercial sources across Central Asia, Near East and North Africa (spanning the 15th to 19th centuries) for the purpose of scientific research. Explore Videos + Lectures NGA Art Materials Research and Study Center National Gallery of Art (NGA) Art Materials Research and Study Center: artists' materials, technical information, and trade literature, including more than 18,000 of samples, including a variety of paints, varnishes, and drawing materials. Explore Videos + Lectures NGA Paper Sample Collection National Gallery of Art (NGA) Paper Sample Collection: collection of documented samples, identified by the manufacturer or distributor, and covers mostly fine- and student-grade artists’ papers available in the United States. Explore Videos + Lectures Uemura Dye Archive Uemura Dye Archive: collection of 744 dyed fabrics prepared in early 20th century Japan. Explore Videos + Lectures