The rochester institute of technology will conduct research on the relationship between room-level relative humidity, object-level water activity, and the associated risk of fungal germination on…

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has been awarded a $552,679 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the National Leadership Grants for Museums (CFDA 45.312) program. The grant, awarded on September 1, 2024, will fund research on the relationship between environmental conditions and the risk of fungal growth on paper and parchment materials in museum collections.

The project will collaborate with university and museum partners to conduct laboratory experiments and field analyses to better understand the conditions that favor fungal germination, colonization, and amplification on organic collection materials. A sub-award of this grant has been made to the Georgia Southern University Research & Service Foundation to specifically investigate the germination of Aspergillus and Penicillium molds on paper and parchment under different temperature and humidity levels. The findings from this research are intended to inform the management of cultural heritage collections and help balance the preservation of organic objects with environmental sustainability.

The rochester institute of technology will conduct research on the relationship between room-level relative humidity, object-level water activity, and the associated risk of fungal germination on paper and parchment. Biodeterioration of organic collections is common and widespread; however, an in-depth understanding of the conditions that favor fungal growth are limited, despite the increasing importance and need due to climate change. This project will collaborate with university and museum partners to undertake laboratory analysis and simulated experiments, and to apply novel instrumental and field analysis. The results of this research will inform the management of objects with collection environments, by balancing the preservation of organic objects with environmental sustainability in the face of collection emergencies.