Design and Evaluation of Biosensor Prototypes as a System to Detect Microbiological Risks for Organic Collections in Storage

Research article Intervención ISSN 2448-5934 JULIO-DICIEMBRE 2023 JULY-DECEMBER 2023 OJS Índice / Contents Design and Evaluation of Biosensor Prototypes as a System to Detect Microbiological Risks for Organic Collections in Storage Ir a versión en español DOI: 10.30763/Intervencion.288.v2n28.67.2023 • YEAR 14, ISSUE NO. 28: 171-190 Submitted: 13.02.2023 • Accepted: 18.08.2023 Lizeth Patricia Russy-Velandia • Published: 16.02.2024 María Camila Patiño Ramírez Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (umng), Universidad Militar Nueva Granada (umng), Colombia Colombia orcid: orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7012-1025 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3090-6658 Translation by Lucienne e Isabelle Marmasse ABSTRACT This research addressed the implementation of biosensor prototypes to detect mi- crobiological risks in environments with organic collections. During the first phase, different combinations of supports, culture mediums, and pH indicators were tested in order to design the prototypes in the laboratory, while the second phase saw the prototypes tested in collection storage environments. The best prototypes were chosen during the experimental phase, taking into account the criteria of colony forming-unit (cfu), amount of cfu in the biosensors, and the diversity of isolated fungi. During the second phase, it was possible to conclude that environmental conditions are determining factors for the prototypes’ functionality. KEYWORDS air, storage, biosensors, collections, organic materials, microorganisms INTRODUCTION icroorganisms play an important role in the biodeterioration of cultural objects, as a result of the processes of growth and development and also of metabolic activities which will eventually cause physicochemical and mechanical al- M Design and Evaluation of Biosensor Prototypes as a System to Detect Microbiological Risks… CONVOCATORIA 2023 CALL FOR PAPERS 2023 171 Research article Intervención ISSN 2448-5934 JULIO-DICIEMBRE 2023 JULY-DECEMBER 2023 OJS Índice / Contents terations to their structure, with negative consequences for their preservation (Gacto & Gacto, 2011, pp. 108-110). Specimens made with organic material of protein or cellulose nature have been reported in collections of documents, archaeological textiles, bone or mummified remains, wood and furs, among others (González, Acevedo, Cases & Valenzuela 2016, pp. 176-179); these substrata are potential niches for agents of biodeterioration to develop under favorable environmental conditions (Nitiu et al., 2015, p. 428). The process of biodeterioration in organic collections is usually detected at an advanced stage (Rojas, 2019, p. 21) and the necessary interventions by those responsible for their handling and storage to halt colonization and microbiological effects can involve other types of risks—some of an aesthetic nature—to the materials (Merritt, 2007, p. 2) or the modification of ultrastructural, chemical, and genetic components, which are usually a source of information for various studies (Lasprilla et al., 2014, pp. 25-26). In Latin America, authors such as Borrego, Herrera, Paneque, and Quitral have confirmed the presence of airborne bacteria and fungi in libraries, archives, and museums and have linked this to the deterioration of collections as well as to the staff’s health (Borrego, Herrara & Paneque, 2021, p. 10; Quitral, 2020, p. 86). Due to the importance of identifying the air quality in locations that host collections, Villalba (2015, p. 23) documented biocontamination by means of impact studies to establish an index of environmental microbiological contamination (icma). The microorganisms reported include genera of fungi such as Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Curvularia, Alternaria, Fusarium, Chaetomium, Phoma, Trichoderma, Mycelia sterilia, Mucor, and Chrysonilia (Borrego et al., 2010, p. 125; Villalba, 2015, p. 27), as well as bacteria, predominantly of the genera Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, and Bacillus (Skóra et al., 2015, p. 395). Many of these microorganisms have been reported to cause biodeterioration in various heritage materials as a result of their ability to produce hydrolytic enzymes, acids, and pigments that alter their properties (Borrego et al., 2010, p. 129). Hence, a strategy for the early detection of the risk of microbial colonization in stored cultural objects is required, which must include parameters of temperature (degrees Celsius) and relative humidity (rh) through the analysis of bioaerosols revealing air quality in the storage environment, as suggested by Valentín et al. (2017, pp. 102-107). However, museums rarely implement such practices (Valentín, 2015, p. 345) due to the cost involved in hiring specialists and acquiring laboratory equipment. Design and Evaluation of Biosensor Prototypes as a System to Detect Microbiological Risks… CONVOCATORIA 2023 CALL FOR PAPERS 2023 172 Research article Intervención ISSN 2448-5934 JULIO-DICIEMBRE 2023 JULY-DECEMBER 2023 OJS Índice / Contents Therefore, research into the biosensors developed—the most relevant of which is that by Nieves Valentín in 2015—in hand with the implementation of biosensors as alarm systems to detect the growth of microorganisms in display cases containing mummified human remains. Those biosensors were based on a support with high hygroscopicity composed of protein or cellulose materials, similar to those in the collections, along with a culture medium to which a marker could be added that changes color when microorganisms grow under favorable conditions of temperature and relative humidity (Valentín, 2015, p. 346). The biosensors are placed in display cases, cupboards, and pieces of furniture or storage spaces along with the collection pieces and are linked to an apparatus that registers temperature and relative humidity to correlate the environmental conditions with the growth of microorganisms on the biosensor (Valentín, 2015, p. 344), which is influenced by micro-condensation within the display cases that hydrates the culture medium. The exposure time of biosensors before the medium becomes denaturalized can be of up to three months (Valentín, 2015, p. 347). The alert system to rectify environmental conditions in the display cases, before biodeterioration of the objects in the collection occurs, is the presence of microorganisms growing on the biosensors. Bearing in mind that Colombia has no prior research into biosensors, the aim of this research was to determine which characteristics, composition, and environmental conditions were required for the biosensor prototype to function as a system to detect microbiological risks and what types of microorganisms they detect in the storage environment of organic collections. METHODOLOGY Phase I. Design and Evaluation of Prototypes in the Laboratory The features of the biosensor prototypes were selected in accordance with annotations made by Valentín (2015). The size of the prototype suppo (...truncated)