Leonardo da Vinci is a famous artist during the Renaissance period with his most notable work, The Mona Lisa, among others. Recently, researchers have discovered more a whole new world on da Vinci's drawings revealing tiny life forms living on it.
According to a report by LiveScience, the findings will help researchers to build a microbiome catalog for artworks, which will be used to put collections of microbes identified to help form a study of the artwork's microscopic biology.
Also, the researchers believe that the microbiome on the drawings holds key elements that will help in identifying counterfeit artworks from the authentic ones based on the differences of microbiome present on them. They would be able to classify authentic drawings that had been stored in different conditions for many centuries.
The researchers published their study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology on November 20.
Bacteria, Fungi, And Human DNA Found on Da Vinci's Drawings
Upon examining the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, the researchers found that it contains various microbiomes than expected. They found bacteria and human DNA present on the drawings which probably is the result of countless handling by art restorers and by other people.
Additionally, they found microbes that can degrade paper which shows how necessary is the restorer's effort on the artwork. Their study shows how in the future microbiome could play a significant role in uncovering unexpected histories of certain artworks and help detect forgeries.
They examined seven of da Vinci's emblematic drawings to study in which they also found fungi not only bacteria and human DNA. Most of these tiny life forms have landed on the drawings well after da Vinci's death over 500 years ago which means that the DNA found was from other people who handled his drawings.
But these newfound little life forms do tell a historical story, according to Science Alert.
Read also: Read Also: Rare Bacteria Known to Survive Solely on Air in Antarctica, Now Found Elsewhere
High Concentration of Bacteria
According to the researchers, they were most surprised to find high concentrations of bacteria in the drawings compared to the fungi, which usually dominate paper objects. However, in this case, bacteria from humans and insects outnumber the fungi.
"Altogether, the insects, the restoration workers, and the geographic localization seem to all have left a trace invisible to the eye on the drawings," the researchers said.
They noted that it is difficult to identify the exact moment when the bacteria dominated the drawings. They have yet done an extensive analysis that is needed to know who specifically these bacteria might have come from.
The researchers used Nanopore to make a detailed study of the different tiny life forms present on the drawings. This new tool can quickly break down and analyze genetic material.
Their previous research also involved studies of artistic microbiome in the past to know how smuggled statues were stored in the past while smugglers were hiding them. This technique could help reveal new insights of histories that were never known even on well-studied artworks.
Check out more news and information on the Bacteria and Nanotechnology in Science Times.
