Denmark's Top Museums Are Facing a Mold ‘Epidemic'
A 'epidemic', as it has been called by conservators, is not only threatening some of the country's most notable paintings and cultural objects but also poses a health hazard to visitors.
'It's quite a large problem because these fungi they deteriorate museum artefacts, materials, they decimate enzymes and assets, deteriorating museum objects, so it will damage them,' Camilla Jul Bastholm, head of conservation and collection storage at the National Museum of Denmark, told the Guardian.
More from Robb Report
This Ultra-Rare Alpina Roadster Limited Edition Is Heading to Auction
The Last Country House Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens Hits the Market for $24 Million
The First Corvette With a V-8 Engine Is up for Auction
The newly encountered species of mold, dubbed aspergillus section restricti, coats objects in a white dust. It is part of a group of fungi that can survive in most extreme environments, such as the deep ocean and in proximity to volcanoes.
Notably, this fungus prefers dry climates as opposed to humid ones more typical for mold, posing a potentially immense issue for artworks and artifacts, which are specifically maintained in similar environments.
The mold has been detected in 12 of the country's museums, among them, the National Museum of Denmark and Skagens Museum. Preliminary studies are also being conducted among 150 additional cultural sites in Denmark to determine if it has spread there, too.
By the time the substance is visible, Jul Bastholm explained, it is 'too late.' Adding, 'I think it is worldwide. If we start looking for it with the right methods we will find it. I don't think it's just a Danish thing.'
Jul Bastholm claims to have also seen the mold in churches, archives, and libraries as well. The National Museum is in the process of relocating affected works into a new warehouse near Copenhagen. While the museum hopes this will help contain the problem, it remains unclear how to stop the mold from growing.
The Danish Museums Association is awaiting results from further research before making a decision on how to proceed by the end of the year.
Best of Robb Report
The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way)
In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
13 hours ago
- New York Post
Doctors near HIV cure with ‘previously impossible' discovery: ‘We have never seen anything close to as good'
An estimated 39 million people around the world are living with HIV — and, while treatment options can ensure they have long, healthy lives, there is no known cure. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) — the most effective current treatment — can reduce HIV levels in the body so low the virus is almost undetectable. An estimated 39 million people around the world are living with HIV. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images However, the fact that the virus can hide in certain white blood cells has been a major hurdle in fully eradicating it. Now, researchers in Australia have developed a novel lipid nanoparticle, dubbed LNP X, capable of delivering mRNA into these elusive cells. Once inside, the mRNA instructs the cells to reveal the concealed virus, potentially allowing the immune system or additional therapies to target and destroy it. Paula Cevaal, research fellow at the Doherty Institute and co-first author of the study, told the Guardian that this remarkable scientific feat was 'previously thought impossible.' 'In the field of biomedicine, many things eventually don't make it into the clinic — that is the unfortunate truth; I don't want to paint a prettier picture than what is the reality,' Cevaal said. Researchers in Australia have developed a novel lipid nanoparticle, dubbed LNP X, capable of delivering mRNA into white blood cells harboring HIV (pictured here). Corona Borealis – 'But in terms of specifically the field of HIV cure, we have never seen anything close to as good as what we are seeing, in terms of how well we are able to reveal this virus,' Cevaal added. 'So from that point of view, we're very hopeful that we are also able to see this type of response in an animal, and that we could eventually do this in humans.' The results were published last week in the journal Nature Communications. While it could take years to get to human clinical trials — the implications are enormous. The findings add to the latest scientific advancements that suggest a cure for HIV could be on the horizon. Last year, researchers in Amsterdam used gene-editing technology to eliminate all traces of the virus from cells in the laboratory. And last July, a 60-year-old German man was declared HIV-free, making him the seventh person to be cured.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Measles misinformation is hurting our kids while Trump government self-destructs
It is not surprising that the Trump administration is dismantling the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Anti-government and pseudo-science sentiment permeated his campaign. What is surprising is the rapidity and depth to which it took place. With constituent anger boiling over, new leaders were chosen who opted to destroy with a chainsaw rather than support and fix existing infrastructure. All of this is occurring while our nation is under siege from an all but extinct contagion — measles. Anti-vaxxers have increased their influence and have minimized the dangers of measles infections, while exaggerating the risks of vaccinations. Just this year, we have lost two unvaccinated healthy children to measles. One to two in every 1,000 cases will die. Measles can cause delayed symptoms, blindness, deafness and impaired cognitive performance. Measles can also suppress the immune system for at least a year, eliminating 11% to 73% of one's antibody reserves. Of concern are two recent studies that found that immune damage can persist for years. Patients can also develop a rare but almost always fatal brain disease, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), 10 or more years after their infection. We do not have an effective plan to stop this epidemic. Instead, our new leaders are providing misinformation and fueling conspiracy theories. Gerth: Where's Craig? Greenberg created this tennis center mess. He must fix it. | Opinion Below are the facts: The vaccine provides decades if not a lifetime of protection. Parents have been told that the measles vaccine's protection 'wanes very quickly." In fact, if you received the two-dose attenuated live virus vaccine after 1968, you should have lifelong immunity with 97% efficacy. The vaccine is much safer than getting the infection. According to the Infectious Disease Society of America, there have been no deaths from the vaccine in healthy children. Importantly, the vaccine should not be given to immunocompromised individuals. However, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll (KFF), 19% of the public mistakenly believes the measles vaccine is probably or definitely more dangerous than getting an infection. This is a disturbing finding for a disease which requires a 95% rate of immunity to prevent outbreaks. The vaccine does not cause autism. A Danish study of 657,461 children found there was no difference in autism between those vaccinated and unvaccinated. Statements that controlled studies regarding the risks of autism and vaccines have not been done are false. However, according to the KFF Poll, 25% of the public mistakenly believes the measles (MMR) vaccine probably or definitely causes autism. Unfortunately, to sort out this debacle, a man who the State Board of Maryland reportedly found worked as a medical doctor without a license or even attending medical school was appointed to restudy vaccines and autism. Vitamin A does not prevent or cure measles. It will reduce complications in malnourished children, but its effect on children without a deficiency is unknown. What is known is that too much Vitamin A can be dangerous and that some children with measles in Texas have been treated for Vitamin A toxicity. The recent KFF Poll found 25% of the public mistakenly believe Vitamin A was probably or definitely effective in preventing measles. Andy Barr: Trump needs a proven winner to replace McConnell. That's me. The federal government's response to this disinformation and falling vaccination rates has not only been muted, but profoundly counterproductive. The secretary of Health and Human Services even praised a doctor who was treating patients while he was infected with measles. This not only placed children at risk but downplayed the dangers of the infection. At the same time, the CDC has been hobbled with massive budget cuts and layoffs. The agency reportedly had to scrap plans to help one Texas school system because of layoffs. CDC funds to state health departments, including $150 million in Kentucky, are at grave risk of being cut. Another federal government self-destructive behavior is not collecting needed data, the old "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. This has affected everything from drug use to maternal mortality to climate change. Public health has been directly affected, with the FDA recently not publicizing an E. coli outbreak in our food supply, and the CDC suppressing their measles forecast, which also encouraged vaccinations. Hyper-politicization of the measles epidemic is also hindering our ability to stop the virus' spread. Seventh-six percent of Democrats are worried about the measles outbreak, compared to only 28% of Republicans. Vaccines are one of the greatest success stories of modern medicine. Since 1975, an estimated 154 million lives have been saved with vaccines. The consequences of our abandonment of public health are only now becoming apparent. Unfortunately, it is our children who appear to be paying the heftiest price. A price which for some will be paid with interest for decades to come. Agree or disagree? Submit a letter to the editor. Kevin Kavanagh is a retired physician from Somerset, Kentucky and chairman of Health Watch USA. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Trump government destruction worsens measles misinformation | Opinion
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
To cut $1.5 billion in trade expenses, Nigeria turns to Denmark for cattle import
Nigeria has embarked on an ambitious plan to double its milk production within five years by importing dairy cattle from Denmark. Nigeria has embarked on a plan to double milk production within five years by importing dairy cattle from Denmark. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on dairy imports, which cost $1.5 billion annually, and enhance domestic production capacity. Over 200 Danish heifers have been imported, and new pasture species are introduced to improve cattle feeding. Livestock Minister Idi Maiha announced the initiative, aimed at reducing Nigeria's reliance on dairy imports, which cost $1.5 billion annually. " Our goal is ambitious but achievable; to double Nigeria's milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years," Maiha said. Currently, Nigeria's cattle population consists mainly of low-yield breeds. To address this, the minister disclosed that a farm has imported over 200 heifers from Denmark and is using intensive breeding. Additionally, eight new pasture species have been registered, and a national strategy for animal genetic resources has been launched with FAO support. Nigeria's dairy challenges Nigeria faces a significant milk production gap, producing only 700,000 tonnes annually while consuming 1.6 million tonnes. This deficit costs the nation $1.5 billion yearly in imports. The executive director of the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN), Dianabasi Akpainyang, described Nigeria's dairy sector in 2023 as a goldmine with vast investment potential in production, storage, processing, and marketing. However, he warned that low milk yields, averaging eight litres per day on managed pastures and just 0.5 to 1.5 litres for pastoralist herds, remain a major barrier. Citing a PwC report, he called for urgent reforms to boost productivity and modernize the value chain. To address this, the government is importing high-quality dairy cattle from Denmark, with one farm already receiving over 200 heifers. The farm is using intensive breeding methods to build its herd. Additionally, the government has registered eight new types of pasture grass, which will improve cattle feed and boost milk production. This initiative aims to reduce Nigeria's reliance on imported milk and strengthen its dairy industry. Danish cattle as natural milk 'factories' Danish dairy breeds—particularly the Danish Holstein and Danish Red—have been selectively bred over decades for high milk yield, strong udder health, and efficient feed conversion. These breeds can produce significantly more milk per cow than the average indigenous cattle in many developing countries, including Nigeria. A Danish Holstein, for example, can yield over 8,000 to 10,000 liters of milk annually under proper conditions, compared to less than 500 liters from local Nigerian breeds. Additionally, Danish dairy cattle are known for their adaptability to structured, intensive dairy farming systems. They respond well to improved nutrition, veterinary care, and climate-controlled environments, which makes them ideal for scaling up milk production efficiently.
