Xueyu Wang

Feb 11, 2025 | nature.com | Yunqi Li |Xueyu Wang |Naisheng Li |Jianzhong Song |Lanying Lin |Shimin Chu

The No. 2 Shipwreck Site on the northwestern continental slope (1488–1505 AD) is situated on the seabed between Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, at a depth of ~1500 m. Numerous wooden logs were discovered inside the shipwreck. This study assessed the degradation status of the waterlogged archaeological wood comprehensively. It also employed modern biotechnological methods to analyze the microbial communities within the wood and its surrounding environment. The results revealed that the waterlogged archaeological wood had experienced varying degrees of degradation. Even seemingly intact wood has undergone significant microstructural and chemical changes. Specifically, the secondary cell walls have been damaged, but the compound middle lamella remains relatively intact. Chemically, the degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose has resulted in a disordered arrangement of cellulose microfibrils, thereby weakening the mechanical properties of the wood cell walls. Additionally, a significant amount of iron salts was detected in some of the waterlogged archaeological wood. The microbial community within the wood was found to be predominantly composed of bacteria, with the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla being the dominant groups. It is notable that the microbial community within the waterlogged archaeological wood exhibits a high degree of similarity with the microbial communities present in the surrounding seabed sediments and seawater. In conclusion, while some of the waterlogged archaeological wood has retained a relatively intact macroscopic appearance, its microstructure and chemical composition have undergone significant deterioration. Therefore, future conservation efforts should prioritise reinforcement and de-ironing to preserve the research value of these artifacts.

Dec 27, 2024 | cell.com | Xiang Peng |Bin Sun |Chaohui Tang |Chengyu Shi |Xianwei Xie |Xueyu Wang | +14 more

1Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China 2Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Panvascular Disease, Harbin 150086, China 3The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin 150081, China 4College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China 5Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan...