Edith Joseph

Université de Neuchâtel | UniNE · Institut de chimie (ICH)

An innovative green organogel was designed to simultaneously tackle inorganic compounds (i.e., iron corrosion) and organic substances (i.e., acrylic coatings) as undesired materials possibly present on the surface of altered indoor metal artworks. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), ethyl lactate (EL), and deferoxamine B (DFO) were employed in the formul...

Thanks to the members of RG and the work carried out by the Research Team, this paper reached 400 reads, 260 recommendations and 3 citations; we are very happy with these results.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) provides high-resolution recording of the spectral information at every spatial point (pixel) of an object throughout a contiguous range of wavelengths. This paper reports an attempt at exploring the application of HSI in transmittance mode for the identification and quantification of corrosion in transparent historical...

In the field of cultural heritage, the use of natural gels is rising for the application of active agents. Here, two natural polymers are assessed: agar, a pioneer hydrogel for conservation treatments, and chitosan, a rather novel and metal-binding gel. For chitosan, a state-of-the-art based formulation (CS–ItA–LCys) is evaluated as it was reported...

The research study is aimed to design innovative bio-gel formulations able to tackle altered historical metal artworks in a green and sustainable perspective. The target of the research is the removal of undesired or altered materials of both inorganic (i.e., corrosion and tarnishing) and organic nature (i.e., protective coatings). The designed gel...

Thanks to the members of RG and the work carried out by the Research Team, this paper reached 250 recommendations, 378 reads, and 3 citations; we are very happy with this result.

An innovative bio method was investigated to extract harmful iron and sulfur species from waterlogged wood samples. The method was compared with a chemical treatment. Both approaches were applied on lacustrine and marine samples, from different wood genera, to evaluate the versatility of the proposed bio method. Non-invasive and non-destructive met...

Bioderived alternatives to commonly used complexing agents for the cleaning of iron artworks are sought for their natural origin and better biodegradability. Indeed, complexing agents currently used for the removal of undesired corrosion products from iron artworks can be difficult to control and their environmental impact is often overlooked. This...

Historical transparent glass is a fragile and challenging material. Deterioration of historical glass objects kept in presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mainly formaldehyde, formic acid and acetic acid, is a known phenomenon. Similar issues were encountered with glass objects in the collection centre of the Swiss National Museum, belongi...

This project focuses on innovative biological methods of extraction for the preservation of waterlogged wood suffering from salt precipitation and acidification. The principal investigator and her team proposed to exploit biomineralization capacities of some bacteria for anticipating the extraction of iron and sulfur compounds when wood is still we...

The development of innovative applications of imaging technologies for monitoring change in cultural heritage objects is central to the CHANGE-ITN project. Within this framework, the authors’ ongoing work targets the harnessing of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for the documentation of cleaning treatments on the monumental University of Oslo Aula unva...

An innovative bioextraction method was tested and compared to common chemical extraction for the preservation of waterlogged archeological wood (WAW) artifacts. During burial, WAW artifacts accumulate iron and sulfur species forming iron sulfides. These compounds are harmless in the burial environment, where the oxygen content is low. But upon exca...

The instability of iron artefacts is rooted in salt contamination during burial and damages associated with exposure to alternative oxygen levels and high relative humidity once excavated. While a combination of chemical and mechanical treatments is utilised to remove the harmful ions (chlorides, sulphur species) and excess bulky corrosion products...

In the general global rise of attention and research to seek greener attitudes, the field of cultural heritage (CH) makes no exception. In the last decades, an increasing number of sustainable and biologically based solutions have been proposed for the protection and care of artworks. Additionally, the safety of the target artwork and the operator...

A biopassivation method has been proposed as a new ecological and sustainable solution for preserving copper-based artefacts using selected microorganisms. This technology is based on the natural capacity of some fungi to form copper oxalates on the corroded surface of copper alloys. Existing unstable and pulverulent corrosion products are converte...

This study evaluates mechanisms of biogenic mineral formation induced by bacterial iron reduction for the stabilization of corroded iron. As an example, the Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain TCE1 was employed to treat corroded coupons presenting urban natural atmospheric corrosion, and spectroscopic investigations were performed on the samples’ c...

New technologies are in development regarding the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood items contaminated with Fe/S species. To this purpose, a bio-based treatment to extract these harmful species before further damages occur is presented. Thiobacillus denitrificans and desferoxamine were employed based on their specific properties to so...

Reduced iron and sulfur species accumulated within waterlogged archaeological wood artefacts during their burial time. Oxygen exposure of the artefacts during recovery leads to acidification and salts precipitation, which causes irreversible physical and chemical damages. Prior to accurately evaluating novel extraction methods, the procedures for c...

While often considered as harmful for cultural heritage, microorganisms can also be used for its safeguarding. The methods used so far for the conservation-restoration of cultural heritage are often unsatisfactory in terms of efficiency and durability. Inhibitors or complexing agents are also toxic and pose potential threats to human health and to...

Archaeological iron artefacts encounter serious post-excavation problems when contaminated with salts. In fact, once excavated, the exposure to a higher oxygen concentration and lower relative humidity renders the corrosion crust formed during burial no longer stable. In particular, the process is induced by chloride ions and flakes, cracks and fin...

Microbiology can greatly help in the quest for a sustainable solution to the problem of iron corrosion, which causes important economic losses in a wide range of fields, including the protection of cultural heritage and building materials. Using bacteria to transform reactive and unstable corrosion products into more-stable compounds represents a p...

Siderophores are secondary metabolites produced by different organisms in order to scavenge iron from their surrounding environment making this essential element available to the cell. Presenting high affinity for ferric iron, siderophores are secreted out to form soluble ferric complexes that can be taken up by the organisms. Siderophores present...

The biological oxidation of minerals and ores, called bioleaching, has been studied for the last decades to solubilize metals and recover them. In particular, iron sulfides are the most studied ores for an optimum extraction of different metals, such as copper or zinc. The use of chemolithotrophic bacteria, as Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, to oxi...

There is a pressing need to develop sustainable and efficient methods to protect and stabilize iron objects. To develop a conservation-restoration method for corroded iron objects, this bio-protocol presents the steps to investigate reductive dissolution of ferric iron and biogenic production of stabilizing ferrous iron minerals in the strict anaer...

Marine and lacustrine archaeological waterlogged wood encounters serious problems after excavation due to the accumulation of sulfur and iron compounds during burial. Exposure of these compounds to oxygen results in precipitation of salts and acidification, which can lead to serious structural damage, and ultimately the loss of important cultural h...

Exploiting bacterial metabolism for the stabilisation of corroded iron artefacts is a promising alternative to conventional conservation-restoration methods. Bacterial iron reduction coupled to biogenic mineral formation has been shown to promote the conversion of reactive into stable corrosion products that are integrated into the natural corrosio...

Microorganisms are the main engines of elemental cycling in this planet and therefore have a profound impact on both organic and mineral substrates. As such, past and present human-made structures and cultural heritage can be negatively affected by microbial activity. Processes such as bioweathering (rocks and minerals), biodeterioration (organic s...

Iron artifacts are common among the findings of archaeological excavations. The corrosion layer formed on these objects requires stabilization after their recovery, without which the destruction of the item due to physicochemical damage is likely. Current technologies for stabilizing the corrosion layer are lengthy and generate hazardous waste prod...

Waste electric and electronic devices (e-waste) represent a source of valuable raw materials of great interest, and in the case of metals, e-waste might become a prized alternative source. Regarding gold, natural ores are difficult to mine due to their refractory nature and the richest ores have almost all been exploited. Additionally, some gold mi...

Recently, research gives emphasis to eco-friendly and sustainable approaches for the preservation of cultural heritage that could offer advantages in terms of compatibility, durability and safety. Hence, a biological treatment, based on a specific fungal strain of Beauveria bassiana, is exploited for the stabilization of soluble and/or active bronz...

Iron is an essential inorganic micronutrient. Because of its low toxicity only a few studies have dealt with the importance of iron in fungal physiology. Most of the studies published so far focus on iron sequestration by animal fungal pathogens, iron uptake by mycorrhizal fungi, or iron redox activities by fungal wood degraders. However, a general...

We exposed metal coupons to natural weathering for 18 months at the Experimental Marine Station (SMS) inside Genoa Harbour.Four different compositions related to metals used in outdoor monuments were selected: copper (CU), ternary bronze (TB), quaternary bronze (QB), and weathering steel (WS). For each alloy, subsets of samples were monitored in si...

While often considered as harmful for cultural heritage, microorganisms can also be used for its safeguarding. Two research projects (BIOPATINAS and MAIA) using the capabilities of microorganisms for the conservation-restoration of metal artistic and archaeological objects are presented in this study. The objective of the BIOPATINAS project is to p...

We propose an innovative treatment by which the protection of copper-based artefacts can be provided by naturally occurring micro-organisms. The properties of some fungi were exploited for the transformation of existing corrosion patinas into copper oxalates. The latter are known to be insoluble and chemically stable. Within the earlier EU-ARTECH a...

Nowadays, organic coatings such as waxes, acrylic resins, and corrosion inhibitors are commonly used for the protection and corrosion inhibition of metal artefacts. However, research efforts still need to be emphasized on innovative treatments that aim at modifying existing corrosion products into more stable and less soluble compounds while mainta...

The glazed tile decorative art was one of the widely used ornamental techniques for the monumental buildings during the Mughal period, in Pakistan. Coloured tile samples from Jahangir tomb were analyzed to know the glaze composition and to identify the colouring phases used at that time. The study was performed using light microscopy (OM), scanning...

In the literature, the ability to transform metal compounds into metal oxalates has been reported for different species of fungi. This could be an innovative conservation method for archaeological and artistic metal artefacts. In fact, with a high degree of insolubility and chemical stability even in acid atmospheres (pH 3), metal oxalates provide...

Several fungi present high tolerance to toxic metals and some are able to transform metals into metal–oxalate complexes. In this study, the ability of Beauveria bassiana to produce copper oxalates was evaluated. Growth performance was tested on various copper-containing media. B. bassiana proved highly resistant to copper, tolerating concentrations...

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is one of the most widely applied techniques for the investigation of cultural heritage materials. FTIR microscopy is well established as an essential tool in the microdestructive analysis of small samples, and the recent introduction of mapping and imaging equipment allows the collection of a large nu...

In the field of FTIR spectroscopy of heritage materials, theFar Infrared (FIR) region has been less investigated thanthe Mid Infrared (MIR) although it has some advantages,particularly in characterisation of inorganic compoundssuch as painting materials and corrosion products, whichare not active in the MIR. Furthermore, FIR spectroscopy isa comple...

Different Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopic techniques, using attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode and single-element mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) detector (mapping) or multielement MCT detector (raster scanning), are compared with each other for the characterisation of inorganic compounds and organic substances in paint cross sect...

In the field of FTIR spectroscopy, the far infrared (FIR) spectral region has been so far less investigated than the mid-infrared (MIR), even though it presents great advantages in the characterization of those inorganic compounds, which are inactive in the MIR, such as some art pigments, corrosion products, etc. Furthermore, FIR spectroscopy is co...

Few research studies from the early seventies reported the use of far infrared (FIR) spectroscopy and its analytical potential. Especially in the field of cultural heritage, particular attention has not been given to this technique because of its destructive character; however, this can be overcome by employing Raman microscopy. Provided that enoug...

The interaction of pigments and binding media may result in the production of metal soaps on the surface of paintings which modifies their visible appearance and state of conservation. To characterise more fully the metal soaps found on paintings, several historically accurate oil and egg yolk tempera paint reconstructions made with different pigme...

Paint cross-sections have been analysed using the attenuated total reflection technique combined with FTIR mapping microspectroscopy in order to characterise the nature of the compounds present and map their localisation in the stratigraphy. The study reveals the possibilities offered by micro-ATR devices for obtaining informations about the organi...

Samples collected from an archaeological object and an outdoor bronze monument as well as a bronze coupon naturally aged in an outdoor marine environment have been analysed in order to determine the composition of the corrosion and deposition compounds and map their stratigraphic distribution. Cross-sectioned samples and the bronze coupon have been...

The Lombard Direction for Cultural Heritage has promoted in 2006 on the portal of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, a research and conservation yard with the aim to refine the existent conservative strategies and to develop new ones. The portal is mainly made by Candoglia marble, with a frescoed lunette above and a copper roofing. It...

The paper deals with the use of micro Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy and ATR mapping for the chemical characterization, corrosion behaviour and surface distribution of corrosion products present on bronze bars naturally aged in an outdoor marine environment as well as on cross-sections of samples collected from archaeolo...

With the aim of exploring the role of the second coordination sphere in enantioselective catalysis, achiral organometallic catalyst precursors are anchored in proteins via non-covalent interactions. A chemogenetic procedure allows the activity and the enantioselectivity of the artificial metalloenzymes to be optimized, to yield hybrid catalysts wit...

Research in art conservation has been developed from the early 1950s, giving a significant contribution to the conservation-restoration of cultural heritage artefacts. In fact, only through a profound knowledge about the nature and conditions of constituent materials, suitable decisions on the conservation and restoration measures can thus be adopt...