Category: Papers

Frontiers in Microbiology (November 2020) Paper

Posted on by Amelie Walker-Yung

by Piñar et al.

In this Frontiers in Biology paper, Dr. Piñar and collaborators in Italy and Austria investigated seven emblematic drawings of Leonardo da Vinci by third generation sequencing. When members of the LDV DNA Project read this interesting paper, they invited Dr. Piñar and her colleagues to join the Project team.

Download the published article:
The Microbiome of Leonardo da Vinci’s Drawings: A Bio-Archive of Their History

Here is an earlier Leonardo-related paper from the same group about Leonardo’s self-portrait, Amid the possible causes of a very famous foxing: molecular and microscopic insight into Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait.

June 18 Biology in Art press release

Posted on by Marguerite Mangin

June 18, 2020 press release from Terry Collins

Biology in art: Genetic detectives ID microbes slowly ruining humanity’s treasures

DNA science may help restore, preserve historic works, unmask counterfeits; The trait elite baseball hitters share with Leonardo da Vinci: A ‘quick eye’ with higher ‘frames per second’ — a function of training, genetics, or both?

Full news release text: here

Example coverage

Agence France Presse

1) Microbes Could ‘help Save Old Masters’ And Catch Forgers, click here 
2)Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘quick eye’ may be key to Mona Lisa’s magnetism, click here

Agencia EFE

1) Identificar microbios en obras de arte abre la puerta a una mejor preservación, click here

2) La rapidez visual “súper desarrollada” de Da Vinci podría explicar la sonrisa de la Mona Lisa, click here

In summary, the publication earned: 172 articles published by media in 7 languages in 35 countries

A combined potential reach (potential impressions for online articles only): 626 million