Microbes of XVI century Arrases of Krakow Royal Castle

Abstract

Sixteenth-century Arrases from the Krakow Royal Castle constitute a Polish national cultural heritage; hence, they should be under special protection. The storage of historic objects at strict temperature and humidity conditions is fundamental for their protection against microorganisms. However, sometimes active preservation must be applied to disinfect bio-contaminated objects. In this study, 39 strains of microorganisms, both fungi and bacteria, isolated from Arrases deposited in the Wawel warehouse were isolated and then identified using molecular tools. Fungal ability to colonize and degrade silk and wool laboratory samples was studied. Selected microbial strains were compared concerning their ability to affect silk fibroin using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The effectiveness of low-temperature helium-generated plasma in disinfecting the model wool and silk samples inoculated with selected strains was tested. The results showed that plasma, despite its high biocidal activity in the case of paper, was not effective on porous textile materials. The alternative protection mechanism, involving active packaging in the form of textiles impregnated with silver-exchanged zeolites, could be used to separate layers of rolled tapestries in the warehouse. Nevertheless, optimal temperature and humidity conditions should be strictly maintained and controlled.