ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the deterioration of museum and archive artifacts produced by microorganisms. It describes the detrimental species-identified using classical methods-that are found in the museum environment and in the objects housed. In Spain, different surveys were performed between 1999 and 2001 to detect microbial contamination in museums and archives. The chapter reviews provides information that could be compared with futures results obtained using new molecular biological methods for the identification and elimination of microorganisms. Molecular biological techniques have been used to identify and investigate the development of microorganisms in inorganic materials such as the stone of heritage monuments and caves. Molecular biological techniques could be important tools for identifying biological agents and for the production of a data bank of detrimental species. Molecular techniques may also be useful for obtaining genetically manipulated species that could interact in deterioration and restoration processes.
