There are many unanswered questions in wood decay and protection research, and no single research technique will ever answer all of these questions. The process of wood decay is a very complex series of biochemical and chemical reactions that are heavily influenced by the hundreds of bacterial and fungal species found on environmental samples of wood. There are a variety of molecular techniques being used that can allow researchers to probe these wood decay organisms and their activities further. This presentation will highlight the types of questions that different molecular techniques can help us explore as well as consider the limitations of this line of research. Several molecular techniques and their potential uses will be discussed in simple non-technical terms, including (1) sequencing and cloning for species identifications, (2) real-time PCR for detection of decay enzymes, (3) proteomics for exploring gene activation /inactivation during decay or biocide breakdown, and (4) microbial community analysis. A critical gap in our knowledge, and consequently in the ability to maximize use of these techniques, is the lack of annotated, whole-genome sequences for important wood decay fungi.

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