In an extraordinary fusion of science and art, Spanish microbiologist Pilar Bosch and her mother, art restorer Pilar Roig, have teamed up to restore historic paintings using bacteria. Their journey began in 2008, when Bosch, then pursuing her PhD, stumbled upon research showing that bacteria could be used in art restoration. At the same time, her mother was facing a major challenge while working on the 18th-century frescoes by Antonio Palomino in Valencia’s Santos Juanes church. These frescoes had been damaged during earlier restoration efforts in the 1960s, leaving them covered in a stubborn layer of glue made from animal collagen.
Realizing the potential of bacteria to solve her mother’s problem, Bosch focused her PhD on this innovative technique. More than a decade later, the mother-daughter duo is leading a €4 million project, funded by local foundations, to restore Valencia’s historic artworks using bacteria. The process involves training bacteria by feeding them samples of the glue used in the past restoration. The bacteria then produce enzymes capable of breaking down the glue without harming the delicate paintings.
Once the bacteria are ready, they are mixed into a gel made from natural algae and applied to the artwork. After about three hours, the gel is carefully removed, revealing the paintings, free from the damaging glue. “In the past, removing the glue required hours of manual labor with warm water and sponges, which often damaged the artwork,” said Roig, who comes from a long line of art conservators.
Bosch has applied this technique not only in Valencia but also in notable projects in Italy, including the restoration of artworks in Pisa and Monte Cassino, as well as in Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Their innovative work is transforming the field of art conservation, and Bosch is now training bacteria to tackle another modern challenge—removing graffiti from walls.
This family collaboration highlights the powerful intersection of art and science, using cutting-edge microbiology to preserve historic masterpieces for future generations.
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