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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2003, p. 2182-2193, Vol. 69, No. 4
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.4.2182-2193.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Conservation of Ornamental Stone by Myxococcus xanthus-Induced Carbonate Biomineralization

Carlos Rodriguez-Navarro,1* Manuel Rodriguez-Gallego,1 Koutar Ben Chekroun,2 and Maria Teresa Gonzalez-Muñoz2

Departamento de Mineralogía y Petrología,1 Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain2

Received 10 August 2002/ Accepted 14 January 2003

Increasing environmental pollution in urban areas has been endangering the survival of carbonate stones in monuments and statuary for many decades. Numerous conservation treatments have been applied for the protection and consolidation of these works of art. Most of them, however, either release dangerous gases during curing or show very little efficacy. Bacterially induced carbonate mineralization has been proposed as a novel and environmentally friendly strategy for the conservation of deteriorated ornamental stone. However, the method appeared to display insufficient consolidation and plugging of pores. Here we report that Myxococcus xanthus-induced calcium carbonate precipitation efficiently protects and consolidates porous ornamental limestone. The newly formed carbonate cements calcite grains by depositing on the walls of the pores without plugging them. Sonication tests demonstrate that these new carbonate crystals are strongly attached to the substratum, mostly due to epitaxial growth on preexisting calcite grains. The new crystals are more stress resistant than the calcite grains of the original stone because they are organic-inorganic composites. Variations in the phosphate concentrations of the culture medium lead to changes in local pH and bacterial productivity. These affect the structure of the new cement and the type of precipitated CaCO3 polymorph (vaterite or calcite). The manipulation of culture medium composition creates new ways of controlling bacterial biomineralization that in the future could be applied to the conservation of ornamental stone.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departamento de Mineralogía y Petrología, Universidad de Granada, Fuentenueva s/n, 18002 Granada, Spain. Phone: (34) 958 246616. Fax: (34) 958 243368. E-mail: carlosrn{at}ugr.es.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2003, p. 2182-2193, Vol. 69, No. 4
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.4.2182-2193.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Cappitelli, F., Toniolo, L., Sansonetti, A., Gulotta, D., Ranalli, G., Zanardini, E., Sorlini, C. (2007). Advantages of Using Microbial Technology over Traditional Chemical Technology in Removal of Black Crusts from Stone Surfaces of Historical Monuments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5671-5675 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Barabesi, C., Galizzi, A., Mastromei, G., Rossi, M., Tamburini, E., Perito, B. (2007). Bacillus subtilis Gene Cluster Involved in Calcium Carbonate Biomineralization. J. Bacteriol. 189: 228-235 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bosak, T., Newman, D. K. (2005). Microbial Kinetic Controls on Calcite Morphology in Supersaturated Solutions. Journal of Sedimentary Research 75: 190-199 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chekroun, K. B., Rodriguez-Navarro, C., Gonzalez-Munoz, M. T., Arias, J. M., Cultrone, G., Rodriguez-Gallego, M. (2004). Precipitation and Growth Morphology of Calcium Carbonate Induced by Myxococcus Xanthus: Implications for Recognition of Bacterial Carbonates. Journal of Sedimentary Research 74: 868-876 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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