ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the microbial diversity associated with the biodeteriorated wall paintings in the Castle of Herberstein using a molecular approach, combining fingerprinting by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with the screening of 16S recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid clone libraries by DGGE and sequencing. It presents an overview of the results obtained from the study carried out on the wall paintings and surrounding walls of the Castle of Herberstein. DGGE and Fluorescent insitu Hybridization analysis were carried out to monitor the enrichment and isolation of halophilic microorganisms. Wall paintings provide a variety of ecological niches, allowing primary colonization by photoautotrophic and chemolithoautotrophic bacteria as well as secondary growth by heterotrophic bacteria. The wall paintings in the Catherine Chapel of the Castle of Herberstein have been the subject of several microbial investigations. S. Rolleke et al. investigated the colonisation of the painting by eubacteria and archaea using cultivation and molecular techniques.
