Differential colonization of microbial communities inhabiting Lede stone in the urban and rural environment

Air pollution does not only induce deterioration of the natural building itself, but it also affects the prokaryotes inhabiting the substrate. Several prokaryotes induce biodeterioration or remediation and their colonization will only become more important during the 21st century. To understand the effect of air pollution we studied prokaryotic communities on Lede stone of two monuments in Belgium: one in the urban environment and one in the countryside. This has been done by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, combined with an isolation campaign.