NEW ORLEANS May 27, 2004 Researchers from Havard University have discovered the presence of a previously unidentified microbial community inside the porous stone of the Maya ruins in Mexico that may be capable of causing rapid deterioration of these sites. They present their findings at the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

"The presence of a previously undescribed endolithic microbial community that is different than the surface community has important implications for the conservation of Maya ruins as well as other stone objects and structures," says Christopher McNamara, a researcher on the study.

McNamara and his colleagues collected stone samples from a Maya archaeological site and separated it into surface and interior portions, which were then broken down into tiny particles. They extracted DNA from the samples and identified and compared bacterial communities on the inside and outside surfaces of the stone. Photosynthetic microorganisms, mainly proteobacteria, were found to populate the surface whereas Actinobacteria was the dominate population on the interior where no photosynthetic organisms were detected. Additional tests on the interior bacterial communities suggest that they break down limestone as they grow.

"Surface analysis of microbial growth and disinfection of stone objects and buildings can no longer be considered sufficient," says McNamara. "Furthermore, treatments designed to penetrate stone objects must consider the presence of a microbial community that may be substantially different than that visible on the surface."

'"/>

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology
27-May-2004

Page: 1
Related biology news :

1. Microbes eat their way to better concrete
2. Microbes active in Colorado snows fuel tundra ecosystem
3. Microbes blueprints promise insights into oceans, more
4. Microbes related to infant lung infections reduced using specialized ventilation system device
5. Microbes and the dust they ride in on pose potential health risks
6. "Microbes deep within South African gold mines" subject of NSF lecture
7. Microbes make mine-waste drinkable, Science researchers report
8. Microbes on Earth may be key to identifying life on other planets
9. Microbes in basalt thrive on mixed diet of toxic waste
10. Microbes work magic on hazardous air pollutants
11. Chemical Reaction Believed To Support Underground Microbes Is Now Unlikely