Historical monuments are an integral part of the cultural heritage of every civilization, whose protection is of paramount importance. Biotic and abiotic factors alter the quality and aesthetics of marble structures and statues with biocorrosion being the most widespread and resistant type of corrosion. The exposure of marbles to the environment and, as a result, to multiple environmental factors enhances their infestation by the above-mentioned micro-organisms.
Their growth on the surface, but also inside, leads to the aesthetic deterioration of these historical monuments (black crusts and patinas), but also to material losses, resulting in the deterioration of the quality of the monument due to the last resort of addition of low-quality maintenance materials, to cover the gap.
The solution proposed by the UPHELLAS research team, is to create a biological biocide, which will be easy to use for conservationists, friendly to humans, the environment and marble. The use of antimicrobial proteins prevents the development of resistance of microorganisms, thus eliminating the need to create more and more modern biocides, thus providing a useful tool in the fight against biocorrosion and the preservation of cultural heritage
