blue-biotechnology and biocleaning of historic­-artistic artifacts

The search for novel cleaning strategies in restoration procedures is growing fast. One innovation/innovative breakthrough in cleaning procedures is represented by the use of enzymes. This is due to the fact that their action is highly selective and they effectively remove undesired layers without adversely affecting the constituent or surrounding materials of the artifact undergoing treatment. In this study we present the results of tests performed by a new set of enzymatic proteins, esterases, extracted from marine organisms, for the bio-removal of Paraloid B72.