The action and role of carbonatogenic microorganisms in bioconsolidation of stones

Aims: Biomineralization is one of the first microbial strategies to cope with a changing environment during the evolution of life on Earth. Indeed, the coevolution of rocks and microorganisms induced massive microbial calcium carbonate precipitation, which played a fundamental role in shaping the Earth as we know it today. In the search for microbial strategies that can be developed to counteract global warming and meet the needs of the world’s population, bacterial enzymes and metabolic activities have emerged as promising solutions. Methods and Results: Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation has received much attention for biotechnological applications such as carbon sequestration, the improvement of building materials and drug delivery. Thus, biomineralization covers many areas of interest from engineering to medicine, but curiously, we are far from knowing the biological dynamics that underlie this phenomenon. Conclusions: This review discusses the role of microbes in calcium carbonate precipitation, with emphasis on carbonatogenic bacteria used in Cultural Heritage for sustainable bioconsolidation.