Arlen Heginbotham Conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture The J. Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles, CA, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Arlen Heginbotham received his A.B. in East Asian Studies from Stanford University and his M.A. in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College. He is currently Conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Arlen’s research interests include the history and analysis of 17th century East Asian export lacquer, the history of metallurgy, the use of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for studying copper alloy artifacts, microscopic and chemical wood identification. He is currently pursuing a PhD in the Earth Sciences Department of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2018 Team Presenter Reflections of a Conservator on the Utility of Biology in Conservation Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Nancy Turner Conservator of Manuscripts The J. Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles, CA, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Nancy Turner (B.A. Art History/Anthropology, Stanford Univ.; M.A. History, UCLA) has been responsible for the care of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of illuminated manuscripts since 1984. She specializes in the conservation treatment of parchment and painted illuminations, and publishes on the materiality of medieval manuscripts based on collaborative scientific research. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2018 Participant Art Bio Matters 2018 Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Laura Allen Curator of Native American Art Montclaire Art Museum Montclair, NJ, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Laura J. Allen is an interdisciplinary scholar and the Curator of Native American Art at the Montclair Art Museum. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Bates College and an M.A. in Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture from Bard Graduate Center. Her research focuses on Northwest Coast Native material culture, particularly dress and textiles. She has supported the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, and other organizations in both cultural and scientific projects. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2021 Participant Art Bio Matters 2021 Virtual Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Joanna Story Professor of Early Medieval History University of Leicester Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Jo Story is currently professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Leicester. Her research is multi-disciplinary in approaches to the texts, material culture and art of early medieval Europe. Manuscripts are a key source, and analysis of membrane as biological evidence is a central feature of Jo’s current research, focusing especially on manuscripts written in ‘insular’ script between c. 600–900, and their distribution across Europe. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2023 Steering Committee Art Bio Matters 2023 Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Anna Serotta Associate Conservator Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Anna Serotta is an objects conservator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art where she is primarily responsible for the conservation of the Egyptian Art collection. Her research interests span a broad range of topics, including stone carving technology, technical imaging and the ethical care of human remains. Anna has worked as an archaeological field conservator on sites in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egypt, including at The Met’s excavation at Dahshur. She is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome as well as a guest lecturer at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2021 Participant Art Bio Matters 2021 Virtual Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Caroline Shaver Graduate fellow Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation Delaware, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Caroline Shaver is a graduate fellow in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, and is currently completing an internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She specializes in the conservation of decorated surfaces on furniture, frames, objects, and architectural woodwork. She has a particular interest in furthering her study of multilayered surface coatings such as lacquer, gilding, paints, and varnishes. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2023 Graduate Student Assistant Art Bio Matters 2023 Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Composition Conservation Historical Use Case Studies Animal skin Many products can be made from animal skin, such as parchment, vellum, and leather. By treating the collagen matrix of skin with different chemical processes (i.e. lime, tanning, etc.), the properties of the skin can be modified. Previous Next Back to Materials Coming Soon We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested in building the ABM website.

Lauren Dalecky PhD Student École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2023 Team Presenter Oil paints from Simon Hantaï's studio: a multidisciplinary glimpse at the most creative periods of his artistic life Co-authored with Molly Warnock. Read the Abstract. Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS

Cecilia Flocco Scientist Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures Department of Microbial Ecology and Diversity Research Brunswick, Germany Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Cecilia G. Flocco is an interdisciplinary scientist and technology consultant working at the intersection of life and environmental sciences with cultural heritage research. She is currently based in Braunschweig, Germany, conducting research at the Leibniz-Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, one of the largest biological resources centers worldwide. Her current research interests encompass understanding the dynamics of microbial communities in extreme environments and niche habitats, such as polar regions (Antarctica) and cultural legacy objects, and advancing interdisciplinary approaches to cultural heritage research. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2021 Poster Presenter The microbiome of a XIV century medieval codex: are microbes part of cultural heritage objects? Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS Lukas M Simon [1], Cecilia Flocco [2], Franziska Burkart [2], Anika Methner [2], David Henke [3], Luise Rauer [4, 5 6], Christian L Müller [6], Johannes Vogel [7], Christiane Quaisser [7], Jörg Overmann 2, Stefan Simon [8] Microbial fingerprints reveal interaction between museum objects, curators, and visitors Microbial communities reside at the interface between humans and their environment. Whether the microbiome can be leveraged to gain information on human interaction with museum objects is unclear. To investigate this, we selected objects from the Museum für Naturkunde and the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin, Germany, varying in material and size. Using swabs, we collected 126 samples from natural and cultural heritage objects, which were analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing. By comparing the microbial composition of touched and untouched objects, we identified a microbial signature associated with human skin microbes. Applying this signature to cultural heritage objects, we identified areas with varying degrees of exposure to human contact on the Ishtar gate and Sam'al gate lions. Furthermore, we differentiated objects touched by two different individuals. Our findings demonstrate that the microbiome of museum objects provides insights into the level of human contact, crucial for conservation, heritage science, and potentially provenance research. Explore

Melanie Gifford Research Conservator for Painting Technology Scientific Research Department National Gallery of Art Washington, DC, USA Previous Next All members MEMBER INFORMATION Dr. Melanie Gifford is an art historian and former painting conservator whose research incorporates technical study, including microscopic analysis. Her publications consider artistic decision-making among Dutch and Flemish painters, including studies on Van Eyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Recently, she and her colleague, Lisha Glinsman, explored stylistic exchange among Dutch “high-life” painters. ABM CONFERENCES ABM 2018 Participant Art Bio Matters 2018 Conference Explore Full Abstract ABM MEMBER EVENTS PUBLICATIONS + PROJECTS