Protein Facts By Ml Florian

Fibrous proteins in cultural and natural history artifacts. This book is designed to help collections managers, conservators, curators, collectors and students (of materials and material culture) to understand the properties of the materials (containing protein fibers) from which various objects have been manufactured. The author illustrates the wide range of historic, ethnographic and natural history objects, made of fibrous protein material, which is found in collections. She explains why understanding the chemical and physical structure of the fibrous proteins in a variety of materials (skin, leather, gut, muscle, teeth, bone, ivory, silk, fur, feathers, hair, horn, claws, nails, etc) is most important when considering optimum methods for their care, conservation treatment and preservation. Features of the structures of protein fibers used to identify each material are discussed. The agents and symptoms of deterioration of fibrous proteins are covered, particularly those proteins (e.g. collagen, keratin, fibroin and myosin) found commonly in collections of cultural objects. This volume complements the author's book Fungal Facts published by Archetype Publications in 2002.