Morphological and biochemical characterization of sub-aerial cyanobacteria isolated from building facades and monuments of Odisha

Several phototrophic microorganisms, principally cyanobacteria species predominantly sheathed forms occur as biofilms on the exposed surface of stone temples, monument as well as building facades receiving areas. A study was conducted to analyse the potential of six sub-aerial cyanobacteria species belonging to three genera, i.e. Scytonema, Tolypothrix and Westiellopsis which were recorded as the main components in the biofilms isolated from 10 different sub-aerial sites (six building facades, three stone temples and one mortar monument) of Bhubaneswar and Puri, Odisha under laboratory culture conditions.