Diversity of archaeal and bacterial communities on exfoliated sandstone from Portchester Castle (UK)

  • Zanardini, Elisabetta
  • May, Eric
  • Inkpen, Robert
  • Cappitelli, Francesca
  • Murrell, J. Colin
  • Purdy, Kevin J.
Publication date
April 2016
Publisher
Elsevier BV

Abstract

In this study exfoliated sandstone samples from Portchester Castle were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) analyses to observe stone surface colonisation, geomorphological structure and to assess damage. Archaeal and bacterial diversity were assessed using cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods. SEM analysis showed that sandstone had high levels of stone decay. There was considerable weathering of the minerals associated with biofilms containing microbes with various cellular morphologies. Microorganisms were especially prevalent in pores, cavities and in the heavily decayed parts of the minerals, and some etching was seen. EDX analyses indicated microbes were associate...

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