Bacterial diversity evolution in Maya plasters and stone

In an effort to effectively protect and consolidate Maya plasters and stones, a novel conservation treatment based on the activation of indigenous carbonatogenic bacteria has been applied on pilot areas at the Maya archaeological site, at Copan (Honduras). To evaluate the changes on the bacterial population associated with such a treatment, which involved the application of a sterile nutritional solution that selectively activate bacteria able to produce new calcium carbonate cement, high-throughput sequencing by Illumina MiSeq technology has been performed. Altogether, our results show that the novel bio-conservation treatment has a very positive impact on the indigenous bacterial population of the treated stone and plasters, potentially contributing to reduce bacterial biodeterioration in the tropical environment they are placed in.