The Microbiome of Leonardo da Vinci’s Drawings: A Bio-Archive of Their History

@Daniela

Published in 

LeonardoDaVinci

 · 17 Dec 2020

The Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings investigated. The drawings currently housed in the Royal Library of Turin are: “Autoritratto” (sample L2, 33.3 × 21.3 cm), “Nudi per la battaglia di Anghiari” (sample L3, 25.4 × 19.7 cm), “Studi delle gambe anteriori di un cavallo” (sample L4, 15.4 × 20.5 cm), “Studi di insetti” (sample L5, 12.9 × 11.8 cm) and “Studi di gambe virili” recto, “Figura presso il fuoco” verso (sample L6, 14.0 × 15.7 cm). The drawings stored at the Corsinian Library in Rome are: “Uomo della Bitta” (sample L7, 22 × 14.6 cm) and “Studio di panneggio per una figura inginocchiata” (sample L8, 25.7 × 19.0 cm).

An international team of researchers has analyzed some of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings, through an innovative genomic approach known as nanopore sequencing. The goal is to study and analyze the complete composition of the microbiome, that is the set of microorganisms present in the works of the Tuscan genius. Seven designs were analyzed during the study, published in Frontiers in Microbiology (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.593401/full).

Through a study carried out through macroscopic scanning and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy, the scientists have highlighted the presence of numerous fungi belonging to different genera, as well as a surprising predominance of populations of bacteria typical of the human microbiome and insects, which are suspected have been introduced on the paintings during the restoration works. According to the experts, the fungal bacterial communities present show a correlation with the geographic location in which the drawings were made.