Exiguobacterium-Mediated Collagen Degradation: An Enzymatic Approach for Animal Glue Removal in Historical Restoration
Michyla Huff
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: José R. de la Torre
In this study, we investigate how exiguobacterium has the ability to remove animal glue that is primarily made from collagen from different kinds of surfaces. By utilizing resources that show how different enzymes break down collagen such as other research papers and looking at what pathways interact with one another. We find that exiguobacterium breaks down the glue by enzymatically cleaving protein structures and there ist microbial contamination during this process. Our results indicate that the use of exiguobacterium has properties that are able to help with the removal of glue from historical pieces that will aid in restoring these pieces.