The community distribution of bacteria and fungi on ancient wall paintings of the Mogao Grottoes

A study of ancient wall paintings in the Mogao Grottoes reveals that fungal community diversity correlates with the age of the caves, independent of environmental factors. This finding suggests that older cave paintings may be more susceptible to biodeterioration due to specific microbial interactions. Researchers analyzed ten samples from five caves using both culture-independent and culture-dependent methods, uncovering a high diversity of bacteria and fungi. While bacterial communities varied without clear temporal or spatial patterns, fungal diversity showed a significant relationship with the age of the grottoes. Additionally, many culturable strains exhibited resistance to various stresses, potentially contributing to the damage observed in these ancient paintings.

Ma, Y., Zhang, H., Du, Y., Tian, T., Xiang, T., Liu, X., Wu, F., An, L., Wang, W., Gu, J.-D., & Feng, H. (2015). The community distribution of bacteria and fungi on ancient wall paintings of the Mogao Grottoes. Scientific Reports, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07752