Team:Toulouse France/Context
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Project Context
How to help Lascaux ?
Introduction
The Lascaux cave, situated in the south-west of France, is one of the most important heritages we received from our ancestors. 18,000 years ago, they performed there one of the most sensational collection of parietal frescoes and engravings. Decorated with organic and minerals pigments, it is home to bulls, aurochs and horses and testify the way of life of our ancestors.
Background - the historic of the cave
As soon as the cave was discovered in 1940, people came from the whole country and abroad to visit it. However, the carbon dioxide and the water vapour released by their breath started to disrupt the cave’s ecosystem. The damages caused by these air changements are at the origin of the first crisis that the Lascaux cave knew. Two kinds of contaminations were observed: the limestone formation on the walls, which was called the white disease, and the green algae growth, named the green disease.
Then, white mold and black stains appeared on the walls and the floor, and were characteristical of the second and the third crisis respectively. These contaminations flow from fungi and bacteria proliferation.
Treatment of the cave
Curing the cave was a priority. Consequently, treatments like biocid or antibiotics were tried. The success of these initiatives worked temporarily, but the cave ecosystem is a very unstable, and new microorganisms developed from the molecules previously used as treatment. Nowadays, the cave situation is steady thanks to the efforts of the cave curators, but scraping of contaminants is required on a daily basis.
Why did we choose this subject?
We wanted to choose a project that was personal and original. The Lascaux cave was self-evident to all of us. It is part of the French heritage, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. It has been threatened of destruction since decades now, and organizations from all around the world have gathered to solve the Lascaux cave crisis. Since mechanical and chemical solutions are insufficient, we reasoned that a biological solution should be try…and enrolled in the iGEM competition !
Introduction
The historic of the cave
Treatment of the cave
Why did we choose this subject?
Website by Team iGEM Toulouse 2016
