The microbiome represents the border between humans and their environment. However, whether the microbiome can be leveraged to gain information on the human interaction with museum objects is unclear. To answer this question, a list of art objects from the Pergamonmuseum and Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin ranging in material and size was defined. Objects of comparable material yet with varying degrees of exposure to human interaction were prioritized. Samples were taken with certified DNA-free and sterile nylon flocked swabs. Samples were subsequently subjected to 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This repo contains data and analysis code for this project.
- The metadata sheet can be accessed here.
- Raw sequencing data can be accessed here.
- Bioinformatic processing and analysis code can be found here.
- Processed count matrices can be found here.
This work was generously supported by the Richard Lounsbery foundation.