Workshop on fungi

Solving Fungal Problems in Heritage Collections
Mary Lou Florian, Instructor
University of Victoria
February 16-18

Offered through the Cultural Resource Management Program, University
of Victoria
<URL:http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/crmp/fungus.htm>

While fungi play an important role in recycling organic matter,
their efforts are not appreciated in the museum setting. This
workshop for conservators and collections care staff focuses on ways
to prevent or mitigate fungal problems in collections, and develops
your ability to care for organic materials by examining:

    *   fungal biology related to preventive conservation
    *   approaches to microscopy to determine the presence of fungi
        on artifacts
    *   evaluation and interpretation of monitoring methods
    *   designing and testing collection recovery procedures
    *   safety and health issues

Please register by: January 24
Fee: $350 (Canadian funds, non-credit)
Travel: Victoria is easily accessible from Seattle and Vancouver
Accommodation: Program staff are pleased to provide information on
local B&B, hotel, and on-campus options

Through this workshop, participants will develop the knowledge and
skills to deal logically, objectively and effectively when
confronted with fungal problems on heritage objects. This will be
accomplished by discussion and laboratory exercises of the
following:

    *   Review of the basic biology needed to understand fungal
        problems and logical monitoring, eradication and
        preventative methods;

    *   Analyse by discussion and microscopy of fungal infestations
        and their microenvironments to determine: their cause and a
        method of prevention, the causative organism and it's source
        and viability, the fungal manifestation on materials: paper,
        leather, textiles, wood and other organics, and some
        inorganic surfaces;

    *   Testing and evaluating to determine effective and logical
        non-chemical methods of eradication and prevention;

    *   Testing and evaluating monitoring methods for fungal surface
        contamination and discussion on air quality and health
        hazards;

    *   Learning to critically review literature on the above
        topics.

Day 1

I. Introduction.  Why are you here and what do you expect to
achieve?

    *   Overview of fungal problems with cultural property
    *   Approaches to solving fungal problems

II. General introduction to types of fungi, their life cycles and
nomenclature. Who are they?

    *   Classification
    *   Life cycles and terminology of structures
    *   Identification methods

III. Source of fungi on and in materials and determining the
causative organisms. Where did they come from?

    *   Airspora
    *   Cross contamination
    *   Contamination during manufacturing and treatment
    *   In natural environment

Day 2

IV. Structure and development of the conidia (spore) dormancy,
activation, germination and subsequent growth of the mycelium. What
is relevant to our problem?

    *   Conidia structure, and composition
    *   Conidia development, dormancy, activation, and subsequent
        germination
    *   Structure and composition and development of hyphae and
        mycelium
    *   Sporulation and conidiation

V. The influence of the environment on growth and development. Why
are they growing?

    *   Water relationships: water in the organism - water content,
        movement, retention, and tolerance; water vapour - RH; the
        substrate water - water activity, water location, and water
        movement
    *   Temperature, light, nutrients
    *   Survivability, testing for viability

VI. Manifestation of fungus growth on materials: paper (contemporary
and foxing), textiles, leather, wood, other organic materials.  What
damage are they doing?

    *   Growth pattern analysis: the contaminant, infestation age,
        method of contamination
    *   Metabolic products and fungal structures in substrate
    *   Potential material interaction: fungal stains, material
        degradation
    *   Analyses of infestations to determine cause of problem

Day 3

VII. Monitoring, prevention and eradication. How can we prevent and
get rid of them?

    *   Monitoring methods, evaluation and interpretation of
        results.
    *   Methods of prevention: moisture in materials,
        microenvironments, maintenance,  storage enclosures, aseptic
        technique, sterilizing, sterile ancillary materials, etc.
    *   Treatments to kill organisms: effects on material and fungal
        contaminant - drying, freezing, heat, anoxic gas, gamma
        radiation, chemicals, natural products.

VIII. Health hazards, air quality and contamination.  Is there a
health hazard?

    *   Allergens and mycotoxins
    *   Assessing the information of monitoring methods.

IX. Conservation treatment: What conservation treatment of the
infested object is needed and is logical?

    *   Evaluation of methods for removal of fungal conidia and
        growth
    *   Effectiveness of cleaning methods in fungal or material
        stain and fungal structure removal: laser, vacuuming,
        mechanical removal, washing, bleaching

X. Summary and the future

For more information, please contact:

    Joy Davis, Program Director
    Brenda Weatherston, Program Coordinator
    Cultural Resource Management Program
    Division of Continuing Studies, University of Victoria
    250-721-8462
    FAX 250-721-8774
    joydavis [at] uvcs__uvic__ca

To receive e-mail updates, contact bweatherston [at] uvcs__uvic__ca


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:40
                 Distributed: Friday, January 14, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-40-009
                                  ***