Insight on bacteria communities in outdoor bronze and marble artefacts in a changing environment

Epilithic bacteria play a fundamental role in the conservation of cultural heritage (CH) materials. On stones, bacterial communities cause both degradation and bioprotection actions. Bronze biocorrosion in non-burial conditions is rarely studied. Only few studies have examined the relationship between bacteria communities and the chemical composi- tion of patinas (surface degradation layers). A better comprehension of bacterial communities growing on our CH is fundamental not only to understand the related decay mechanisms but also to foresee possible shifts in their compo- sition due to climate change. The present study aims at (1) characterizing bacterial communities on bronze andmarble s…