Wood is produced by the stems and roots of woody plants such as trees and shrubs. Structurally, wood is composed predominantly of cellulose polysacchharid fibers and lignin (a natural polymer chain). Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Wood Wood is produced by the stems and roots of woody plants such as trees and shrubs. Structurally, wood is composed predominantly of cellulose polysacchharid fibers and lignin (a natural polymer chain). 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.

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 non-exhaustive list of publications from ABM members related to their research and collaborations. If you have a publication to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org. COMMUNITY Projects Projects Publications Member Events Members Publications PUBLICATIONS A non-exhaustive list of publications from ABM members related to their research and collaborations. If you have a publication to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org . Blues from Tikuna/Magüta Masks and a Still Unknown Blue Colorant in Technical Art History and Conservation Science Thiago Sevilhano Puglieri [1,2] , Laura Maccarelli [3] Literature from the Tikuna/Magüta culture, from the Amazon Forest, suggests the use of chemical reactions between the juice of the naīcü fruit and iron to produce a blue colorant still unknown among technical art historians and conservation scientists. Explore Paleoproteomic identificationof the species used in fourteenthcentury gut‑skin garmentsfrom the archaeological siteof Nuulliit, Greenland Annamaria Cucina 1,2*, Anne Lisbeth Schmidt 3*, Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo 4,5*,Meaghan Mackie 4,6 , Carla Dove 7 , Aviâja Rosing Jakobsen 8 , Bjarne Grønnow 9 ,Martin Appelt 9 & Enrico Cappellini 4 Until recently, the identification of the species of origin for skin and fur materials used in theproduction of archaeological clothing has been based on the analysis of macro‑ and microscopicmorphological features and on the traditional knowledge of Indigenous groups. This approach,however, is not always applicable due to the deterioration of the archaeological objects.Paleoproteomics was used as an alternative approach to identify the species of origin of fifteensamples of various tissues from approximately 600‑year‑old garments found in Nuulliit, northernGreenland. Proteomics revealed that a limited group of marine and terrestrial mammals were usedfor clothing production. The results obtained from the analysis of multiple types of clothing andelements, such as sinew thread and gut skin, suggest that their applications were based on theirproperties. When conclusive assignment of a sample to a species via proteomics was not possible, theobservation by transmitted light microscopy of feather and hair micromorphology, if not affected bydiagenesis, was used to improve the identification. The proteomic characterization of animal materialsused for clothing production in the Nuulliit archaeological context provides an insight into thepractical knowledge and the strategies adopted by the local Indigenous community to exploit naturalresources Explore Unraveling a Historical Mystery: Identification of a Lichen Dye Source in a Fifteenth Century Medieval Tapestry Rachel M. Lackner [1], Solenn Ferron [2], Joël Boustie [2], Françoise Le Devehat [2], H. Thorsten Lumbsch [3], and Nobuko Shibayama [1] As part of a long-term campaign to document, study, and conserve the Heroes tapestries from The Cloisters collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, organic colorant analysis of Julius Caesar (accession number 47.101.3) was performed. Analysis with liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-qToF-MS) revealed the presence of several multiply chlorinated xanthones produced only by certain species of lichen. Various lichen dye sources have been documented in the literature for centuries and are classified as either ammonia fermentation method (AFM) or boiling water method (BWM) dyes based on their method of production. However, none of these known sources produce the distinctive metabolites present in the tapestry. LC-qToF-MS was also used to compare the chemical composition of the dyes in the tapestry with that of several species of crustose lichen. Lichen metabolites, including thiophanic acid and arthothelin, were definitively identified in the tapestry based on comparison with lichen xanthone standards and a reference of Lecanora sulphurata, confirming the presence of a lichen source. This finding marks the first time that lichen xanthones have been identified in a historic object and the first evidence that BWM lichen dyes may have been used prior to the eighteenth century. Explore Species identification of ivory and bone museum objects using minimally invasive proteomics Catherine Gilbert, Vaclav Krupicka, Francesca Galluzi, Aleksandra Popowich, Stéphane Claverol, Julie Arslanoglu, Caroline Tokarski Ivory is a highly prized material in many cultures since it can be carved into intricate designs and have a highly polished surface. Due to its popularity, the animals from which ivory can be sourced are under threat of extinction. Identification of ivory species is not only important for CITES compliance, it can also provide information about the context in which a work was created. Here, we have developed a minimally invasive workflow to remove minimal amounts of material from precious objects and, using high-resolution mass spectrometry–based proteomics, identified the taxonomy of ivory and bone objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from as early as 4000 B.C. We built a proteomic database of underrepresented species based on exemplars from the American Museum of Natural History, and proposed alternative data analysis workflows for samples containing inconsistently preserved organic material. This application demonstrates extensive ivory species identification using proteomics to unlock sequence uncertainties, e.g., Leu/Ile discrimination. Explore Microbial fingerprints reveal interaction between museum objects, curators, and visitors 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 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. Explore The Inside (and Outside) Scoop: Scientific Analysis of Food Residues Inside the Jars from Old Edgefield, South Carolina Adriana Rizzo The exceptional and exciting occurrence of organic food residues inside large nineteenth century alkaline-glazed stoneware vessels from the Old Edgefield district, some also signed by enslaved potter and poet David Drake, has offered a unique opportunity to study those residues as anthropological evidence of the jars’ contents (e.g., preserved meat, fat, eggs, etc.), potentially offering information on the use of the jars and the lifestyle of the people that used them. Residues scraped from the jars’ surfaces were analyzed in the Department of Scientific Research of The Met to evaluate their composition, assess contaminations and clues to their condition (e.g., presence and extent of degradation products), all informing of the next process to further characterize the residue. Explore Cutting Through the Fat: Animal Species and Food Processing Techniques of Residues Found in Nineteenth-Century Edgefield Pottery Julie Arslanoglu As part of the exhibition, Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, The Met’s Department of Scientific Research (DSR) investigated organic food residues found inside large nineteenth-century alkaline-glazed stoneware vessels from the Old Edgefield District, South Carolina. “Examining Storage Jars from the American South” describes the driving questions about the jars’ use and the users’ lifestyle. Investigations reported in “The Inside (and Outside) Scoop: Scientific Analysis of Food Residues Inside the Jars from Old Edgefield, South Carolina” established that the heterogeneous residues are mostly oily materials with solid materials of various unknown origins. We hoped to gain more information about the jars’ contents from these residues, but to do so we need the sophisticated tools and expertise of our collaborators through ARCHE. Explore Hydrogen‑deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to study interactions and conformational changes of proteins in paints Francesca Galluzzi, Stéphane Chaignepain, Julie Arslanoglu, Caroline Tokarski Little is known about structural alterations of proteins within the polymeric films of paints. For the first time, hydrogen‑deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) was implemented to explore the conformational alterations of proteins resulting from their interaction with inorganic pigments within the early stages of the paint film formation. Intact protein analysis and bottom-up electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry strategies combined with progressively increasing deuterium incubation times were used to compare the protein structures of the model protein hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) extracted from newly dried non-pigmented films and newly dried films made from a freshly made mixture of HEWL with lead white pigment (2PbCO3 Pb(OH)2). The action of other pigments was also investigated, expanding the HDX study with a global approach to paint models of HEWL mixed with zinc white (ZnO), cinnabar (HgS) and red lead (Pb3O4) pigments. The results show structural modifications of HEWL induced by the interaction with the pigment metal ions during the paint formulation after drying and prior to ageing. Both the charge distribution of HEWL proteoforms, its oxidation rate and its deuterium absorption rate, were influenced by the pigment type, providing the first insights into the correlation of pigment type/metal cation to specific chemistries related to protein stability. Explore So you want to do biocodicology? A field guide to the biological analysis of parchment Sarah Fiddyment, Matthew D. Teasdale, Jiří Vnouček, Élodie Lévêque, Annelise Binois & Matthew J. Collins Biocodicology, the study of the biological information stored in manuscripts, ofers the possibility of interrogating manuscripts in novel ways. Exploring the biological data associated to parchment documents will add a deeper level of understanding and interpretation to these invaluable objects, revealing information about book production, livestock economies, handling, conservation and the historic use of the object. As biotechnological methods continue to improve we hope that biocodicology will become a highly relevant discipline in manuscript studies, contributing an additional perspective to the current scholarship. We hope that this review will act as a catalyst enabling further interactions between the heritage science community, manuscript scholars, curators and conservators. Explore

The crux of cultural heritage analysis is the ethical considerations and determination of the necessity, or not, for sampling: value of information garnered, selection of sampling site, how much sample is needed, conservation treatment history, etc. If you have sampling topics to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org. EDUCATION Materials Materials Ethics Ethics Analytical Techniques Analytical Techniques Sampling Topics Sampling Topics SAMPLING TOPICS The crux of cultural heritage analysis is the ethical considerations and determination of the necessity, or not, for sampling: value of information garnered, selection of sampling site, how much sample is needed, conservation treatment history, etc. If you have sampling topics to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org . Coming Soon Coming Soon

0ff3bae3-9c2d-4ab5-9f4e-8679fbd9c5f3 RESOURCES Glossaries + Databases Glossaries + Databases Reference Materials Reference Materials Scientific Resources Scientific Resources Videos + Lectures Videos + Lectures Journals + Publications Journals + Publications Coming Soon Explore institutions that have the ability to carry out analysis of cultural heritage materials. This list is not exhaustive, but it is intended as a reference for current organizations with scientific instrumentation. SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Explore Videos + Lectures Canadian Conservation Institute Explore Videos + Lectures Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) Explore Videos + Lectures Harvard Art Museums, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies Explore Videos + Lectures Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields Explore Videos + Lectures Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures Explore Videos + Lectures Library of Congress, Preservation Research Testing Division Explore Videos + Lectures Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Explore Videos + Lectures Metropolitan Museum of Art Explore Videos + Lectures Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Explore Videos + Lectures Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Explore Videos + Lectures Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Explore Videos + Lectures National Museum of Asian Art, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Explore Videos + Lectures Philadelphia Museum of Art Explore Videos + Lectures Rathgen-Forschungslabor (Rathgen Research Laboratory), Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museum) Explore Videos + Lectures Smithsonian Institution (SI) Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) Explore Videos + Lectures The Art Institute of Chicago Explore Videos + Lectures The National Gallery, London, UK Explore Videos + Lectures Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library Explore Videos + Lectures Yale University, Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Explore Videos + Lectures

Cultural heritage is the material culture of mankind and its study requires the inclusion and partnership of its creators as well as careful deliberation as to its analysis. If you have ethics to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org. EDUCATION Materials Materials Ethics Ethics Analytical Techniques Analytical Techniques Sampling Topics Sampling Topics ETHICS Cultural heritage is the material culture of mankind and its study requires the inclusion and partnership of its creators as well as careful deliberation as to its analysis. If you have ethics to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org . Coming Soon Coming Soon

A wide variety of varnishes and coatings exist, generally with the purpose as acting as a protective coating or adding a specific sheen to an object. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Varnishes/Coatings A wide variety of varnishes and coatings exist, generally with the purpose as acting as a protective coating or adding a specific sheen to an object. 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 is a cross-disciplinary hub for biological materials research in cultural heritage. Welcome to ABM A Cross-Disciplinary Hub for Biological Materials Research in Cultural Heritage About ABM Education Community Meetings Resources Members Opportunities MISSION STATEMENT ART BIO MATTERS (ABM) provides a stimulating forum in which to explore current and new directions in the study of biological materials found in cultural heritage collections. Communication and partnerships are facilitated by a robust website, dedicated Slack channel, and interactive Art Bio Matters Meetings. While the core disciplines of ABM are science, curatorial/cultural history, and conservation, ABM welcomes other stakeholders involved in cultural heritage studies. A key aspect of the forum is the opportunity to discuss research at any stage of completion among a balanced community of experts in a format designed to promote collegial dialogue and debate. Read more about ABM ONSITE EVENT ABM 2023 ABM 2023 was an in-person meeting in NYC, continuing as a platform for open dialogue and debate between specialists interested in biological materials investigations of cultural heritage. Meetings EXPLORE ABM Projects Discover projects from the ABM community Explore Opportunities Explore opportunities for education, professional development, employment, funding, and more. Show more Events Stay connected to the most recent events with bimonthly ABM virtual presentations by ABM Members and other events of interest. Show more Join us and become a part of the ABM c ommunity

A binder is a substance that adheres the paint's pigment particles to the surface of the support (canvas, wood). Historically, proteins such as milk, egg, and animal glue served as the original binder. Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Paint Binders A binder is a substance that adheres the paint's pigment particles to the surface of the support (canvas, wood). Historically, proteins such as milk, egg, and animal glue served as the original binder. 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.