Editorial: Microbes and cultural heritage: from biodiversity to applications

combining high-throughput sequencing, metabolomics, microscopy, environmental monitoring, and applied conservation science. Together, they demonstrate that understanding microbial biodiversity is essential not only to diagnose biodeterioration but also to design sustainable and informed preservation strategies.A central theme emerging from this collection is that each heritage material hosts a distinct, substrate-driven microbiome. Material composition, physicochemical properties, microclimate, and human contact shape microbial community assembly. Zhou et al. Several studies in this collection emphasize translational applications and sustainable microbial management. Krasnicki et al. evaluated the efficacy of 90% ethanol applied as a mist to disinfect historical leather artifacts from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. The treatment achieved substantial microbial reduction without compromising collagen structure, demonstrating that effective disinfection can coexist with material preservation. Dumbravă et al. explored multifunctional protective strategies for wooden heritage using silver nanoparticles embedded in polyacrylic resins and siloxane-based coatings. These treatments exhibited antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, and anti-metabolic activity while showing minimal phytotoxic impact. Their work illustrates how nanotechnology and microbiology converge to produce durable, environmentally responsible conservation materials.Collectively, these applied studies signal a shift from indiscriminate sterilization toward targeted, substrate-compatible, and ecologically informed preservation strategies.The contributions gathered in this Research Topic demonstrate that heritage microbiology has evolved into an integrative discipline linking biodiversity, function, and application.