[Nhcoll-l] Mold curiosity

[Daniel Gluesenkamp]

"How extremophile molds are destroying museum artifacts" SciAm
 <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-extremophile-molds-are-destroying-museum-artifacts/> https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-extremophile-molds-are-destroying-museum-artifacts/
 
 
In the 1600s the Bibliotheca Angelica was run by Augustinian friars, an order of religious scholars that the pope charged with determining which texts would become libri prohibiti—forbidden books destined for the Catholic Church’s bonfires of heretical material.
 
Texts on astrology, alchemy, science and unorthodox religious thinking passed through the Augustinians’ hands. “The Augustinians studied them and censored them, but they did not destroy them,” Umberto D’Angelo, former director of the Bibliotheca Angelica, said in a press release. “Fortunately for us, they are all still here.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Tommy McElrath
Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 8:01 AM
To: Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mold curiosity
 
We recently had a mold infestation in our types freezer on our wooden vial racks. The fridge is kept at low RH and around 0ºC. We did have an issue where it wasn’t kept exactly at that temperature due to a faulty compressor, but was still kept cold and low RH. 
 
We didn’t ID the fungus, but did end up having to replace our entire type vial rack collection with all plastic ones, which was a significant expense. Michelle Kohler will be giving a short talk about this at SPNHC this year if anyone is interested. I wonder if it is related. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
--
TOMMY MCELRATH
Insect Collection Manager

Illinois Natural History Survey
Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Natural Resources Bldg.
615 E. Peabody Dr. | MC 650
Champaign, IL 61820
217-300-5938 |  <mailto:tcm at illinois.edu> tcm at illinois.edu
insect.inhs.illinois.edu <https://insect.inhs.illinois.edu/> 
 
 <https://www.facebook.com/INHSInsects/>      <https://www.instagram.com/inhsinsects/>      

 <http://illinois.edu/> 

Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. 



On May 7, 2025, at 4:11 AM, Nikolaj Scharff <nscharff at snm.ku.dk> wrote:
 
More about the finding here:
 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724040282
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207422000322?via%3Dihub
 
Best wishes
Nikolaj
--------------------------

Nikolaj Scharff, PhD
Professor, Curator of Arachnida,
Archives and Libraries
 

<image001.png>

 
 
Natural History Museum Denmark
University of Copenhagen
 
Zoology Section
Universitetsparken 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
 
Email:  <mailto:nscharff at snm.ku.dk> nscharff at snm.ku.dk
Phone: +45 42408088
 
 <http://www.snm.dk/> www.snm.dk
 
 
 
 
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Gali Beiner
Sent: 7. maj 2025 08:06
To: NHCOLL-new <Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Mold curiosity
 
Dear All, 
 
I noticed this little popular press article on mold that thrives in RH ca. 55%: 
 
Denmark’s museum objects at risk from ‘extreme’ new mould, say conservators | Denmark | The Guardian <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/06/denmarks-museum-objects-at-risk-from-extreme-new-mould-say-conservators> 
 
Has anyone noticed this happening in natural history collections? There are, of course, many types of mold - we dealt with some in our bird collections - but generally lowering the RH (to taxidermy-appropriate levels) appears to help. However, it would be good to know what other professionals see in "their" collections in terms of molds working in lowered RH conditions. 
 
Gali 
 
-- 
Gali Beiner (ACR)
Conservator, Palaeontology Lab
National Natural History Collections
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram
Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Fax. 972-2-6585785
gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il <mailto:gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il> 
https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en
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