Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene sequencing of outdoor stone samples of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Melbourne (Australia)

Amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to analyse the fine structure, diversity and interactions of microbial biofilms colonizing the outdoor stones of the 19th Century Church of St. John the Evangelist in Melbourne. The hypotheses that bacterial diversity is correlated with building stone lithology, light exposure and surface geometry, respectively, was evaluated. This information may provide the basis for the identification of undesirable deterioration-associated microorganisms and/or the retrieval of beneficial species for preservation of the stone monument.