Your search resulted in 3425 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Evaluation of Decay Resistance for the Larch Wood Heat-treated with Superheated Steam
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40956
Heat-treatment of wood is a process that involves applying heat ranging 160–260°C to improve its physico-mechanical properties and resistance against wood rot fungi. The level of the changes in the wood properties by heat-treatment differs depending on the temperature and duration of heat-treatment, as well as the types of heat transfer media used for heat-treatment. The heat-treatment on wood ...
Y Park, S-M Yoon, H Kim, W-J Hwang
Natural durability of 9 tropical species suitable for round wood timber building: fungi and termites laboratory screening tests
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11013
In numerous tropical forest species, wood properties are poorly described and wood is under-valorized. Especially very few is known about small diameter trees although they may be used, directly as round wood, in construction timber building. A selection of abundant species was done and characterization tests were performed to assess their usability as building material. The aim of this work was t...
M Leroy, K Candelier, J Damay, J Bossu, R Lehnebach, M-F Thevenon, J Beauchene, B Clair
Morphological observation of wood at the early stages of decay in brown rot and white rot
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11020
Wood rotting fungi, the fungal species causing biodeterioration for wood building, are generally classified into white-rot, brown-rot and soft-rot fungi based on their decay modes. Since white-rot and brown-rot fungi are known to reduce wood strength significantly, it is important to clarify the mechanisms of their wood degradation. White-rot fungi reduce wood strength as the decay progress and de...
R Tsukida, T Hatano, Y Kojima, Y Horikawa, S Nakaba, R Funada, M Yoshida
Effect of volatile organic compounds produced by wood rotting fungi on mycelial growth
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11023
Microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria produce volatile organic compounds (so-called MVOCs: Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds) as metabolites. Some MVOCs have been found to be biologically active, for example inhibition of spore germination, and when fungi of different species encounter each other, the MVOCs pattern change, suggesting that MVOCs play a role as a mediator for biological intera...
S Horikawa, R Konuma, M Yoshida
Comparison of culturable fungi found on two types of modified wood cladding
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11025
Modified woods are rapidly gaining popularity in the United States and are appearing on more public buildings. Because these are biocide-free products, they can support the growth of non-wood degrading fungi on their surfaces, many of which produce dark pigments and deface the cladding. Even growth of dark pigmented fungi on modified woods yields an even grey-black color, giving the materials a we...
G Presley, J Cappellazzi, B Held, R Blanchette
Simulations of microclimates for wood-decaying fungi in the built environment using environmental analysis
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20703
Simulations of fungal decay risk were run on two similar building geometries exposed to typical annual climate conditions of two different geographical locations, Brunswick (Germany) and Cairns (Australia). The simulations were conducted to capture the effect of wind-driven rain and solar irradiation exposure over nodes of the common building geometry. The moisture content and temperature variatio...
P B van Niekerk, J Niklewski, S H Hosseini, B N Marais, I Frimannslund, T Kringlebotn Thiis, C Brischke
Influence of weathering of wood surfaces before and after treatment with iron(II) sulphate
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30786
Outdoor wood is exposed to various factors that cause the wood to grey or age. The ageing processes can vary greatly depending on the exposure. Parts of the wood that are not exposed to external factors, e.g. under the eaves, are less exposed and the ageing process is therefore slower. This can be accelerated by solutions based on iron ions. In this way, the wood greys quickly and evenly. However,...
B Lesar, M Humar, F Osvald
Research on gaseous COS degradation by brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11033
Physiological studies of wood rotting fungi have mostly focused on the metabolism of carbon and nitrogen sources, which constitute the dominants components of wood. On the other hand, despite the physiological importance of trace elements such as sulfur, studies on their acquisition sources and metabolic pathways are limited. Until now, wood rotting fungi have been thought to utilize slight amount...
R Iizuka, R Tsukida, Y Katayama, M Yoshida
Cellulose nanomaterials in growth media for wood decay fungi
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11035
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were investigated as a partial substitution for agar in growth media for wood decay fungi. Radial growth measurements of eight basidiomycete fungi were taken on solid growth media with and without CNFs. Additionally, fungal strain virulence was evaluated using the European CSN Standard EN 113-2 wood decay durability test. The inclusion of CNFs did not significantly aff...
K M Ohno, R A Arango, R Sabo, C M Clemons, G T Kirker, A B Bishell
Cellulose nanomaterials in growth media for wood decay fungi
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11035
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were investigated as a partial substitution for agar in growth media for wood decay fungi. Radial growth measurements of eight basidiomycete fungi were taken on solid growth media with and without CNFs. Additionally, fungal strain virulence was evaluated using the European CSN Standard EN 113-2 wood decay durability test. The inclusion of CNFs did not significantly aff...
K M Ohno, R A Arango, R Sabo, C M Clemons, G T Kirker, A B Bishell
A novel cellulose-binding domain from the brown-rot fungus that can be used to evaluate cellulose in wood
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11046
Wood-rotting basidiomycetes are the primary microorganisms that decay wood in nature. They are classified as white-rot fungi and brown-rot fungi by the difference in decaying types. White-rot fungi secrete a variety of cellulolytic enzymes during wood degradation. These enzymes often have an additional cellulose-binding domain (CBD) that adsorbs to the cellulose surface and localizes the catalytic...
Y Kojima, N Sunagawa, S Tagawa, T Hatano, S Nakaba, M Aoki, M Wada, K Igarashi, M Yoshida
Potential of heartwood extracts as wood preservatives combined with linseed oil in 8-year above-ground and in-ground field trials
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20719
The current study assessed the efficacy of heartwood extracts from Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, and Pinus roxburghii, combined with linseed oil, as protectants for two non-durable wood species against termites and decay fungi. Stakes measuring 45.7 × 1.9 × 1.9 cm and blocks measuring 12.5 × 3.75 × 2.5 cm of the sapwood of southern pine (Pinus sp.) and cottonwood (Populus ...
M E Mankowski, G T Kirker, B Hassan
Changes in decay risk of wood in ground contact over Europe, from analysis of historic climate conditions
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41008
Changing climate conditions will affect global temperature and precipitation patterns, shifting some geographical areas into states that are more suitable for fungal wood decay. Climate normals, which are taken over a 30-year period, capture vast spatial and temporal variations in these conditions and comparing these can show changes over time. Importantly, being able to identify locations that ha...
P B van Niekerk, B N Marais, G Alfredsen, C Brischke
Towards eco-friendly fire retardant of wood - exploring fungal biomineralization
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11052
Timber is a strong, durable, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable building material but its combustibility represents a safety threat. Commonly used fire and flame retardants are often environmentally unfriendly, while safety cladding is labour intensive and covers the wood, decreasing the aesthetic appeal of the building. Mineralisation of wood with calcium carbonate has been shown to be a prom...
K Butina Ogorelec, A Gubenšek, A Sandak
Synthetic Oxalate/ß-glucan Fungal Extracellular Matrix Demonstrates Potential Inhibition of Extracellular Enzyme Diffusion into Wood Cell Walls, and Calls into Question the Role of Enzymes in Wood Decay
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11053
ß-glucan is the major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many fungi, including wood degrading fungi. Many of these species also secrete oxalate into the ECM. Our research demonstrates that ß-glucan forms a novel, previously unreported, hydrogel at room temperature with oxalate. This finding better explains the gel-like nature of the fungal ECM. Oxalate, at relatively low levels, was ...
B Goodell, G A Tompsett, G Perez-Gonzalez, K Mastalerz, M Timko
Decay pattern in external wooden structures
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11055
Decay in external wooden structures has historically been a universal problem of great concern. Despite this, the general understanding of where and why wood-decaying fungi are occurring is limited. The consequences of this are that decayed wood might not be detected and that measures to protect the wood against deterioration has limited effect.
Wood decay in different geographical and climatic ...
J Mattsson, M S Austigard, A-C Flyen
Xerophilic mould fungi on new and historic wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11056
An examination of mould fungi in 35 medieval and ten 18th Century buildings shows mould growth to varying degrees on different surfaces. The analyses also show a rapid development of mould fungi on certain wooden surfaces in recent years.
A significant difference in the growth between new and old wood is the clearly more extensive growth and different species composition of mould fungi on new wo...
J Mattsson, M S Austigard
Durability to wood decay fungi and subterranean termites of Quercus pyrenaica Wild
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11066
The use of wood has added value since it is renewable, biodegradable, and a recyclable material. For this reason, evaluating its natural durability is essential when establishing the level of protection required, depending on the designated end use. Natural durability is defined as the intrinsic resistance of wood against the attack of destructive organisms. There are standardised methods to estim...
S Santos, M T Troya, L Robertson, S Gutierrez, G Caballe, J L Villanueva
Durability and molecular analysis of fungal communities in wood exposed above ground
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11068
The objective of the study was to explore the durability of wood exposed above ground, comprising a wide diversity of wood species and treatments and extensive assessment data on wood durability in ongoing long-term testing. Larch species and Scots pine heartwood, two tropical species ntholo and ncurri and a number of treated wood by copper-based formulations and alternatives (silanes, spiroborate...
N Högberg, D Panov, G Daniel, N Terziev
Detecting wood-decay fungi in walls: a non-destructive approach with an electronic nose
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11070
Wood-decay fungi degrade the structural integrity and safety of wooden buildings, leading to potential hazards and reduced durability. Conventional detection methods, such as visual inspection and destructive sampling, are often impractical for concealed spaces, such as those within walls or beneath floors. These methods often require specialised training and costly equipment, making non-destructi...
M Suzuki, T Miyauchi, S Isaji, R Naganawa
Interaction of cellulolytic enzymes with fungal cell wall polysaccharides
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11071
Wood rotting fungi are the primary agents responsible for the decomposition of wood in natural environments. These fungi secrete a variety of enzymes to degrade the chemically and structurally resistant components of the wood cell wall. Some of these enzymes possess a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), which enhances enzymatic efficiency by increasing their affinity to the substrate. Previously, w...
K Fukabori, N Hattori, Y Kojima, R Iizuka, M Yoshida
Distribution of Crystalline Cellulose-Binding Domain CBM104 in Wood Rotting Fungi
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11073
Wood rotting fungi play a crucial role in biodeterioration of wood. Many brown-rot fungi are known to rapidly degrade cellulose in wood despite lacking enzymes with cellulose-binding domains. This has led to the hypothesis that they rely on a non-enzymatic degradation system. We recently discovered a novel cellulose-binding domain, CBM104, in the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum. In this stud...
Y Kojima, N Sunagawa, M Aoki, S Tagawa, M Wada, K Igarashi, M Yoshida
Investigation of oxalic acid production in brown-rot fungi
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11074
Brown-rot fungi play a crucial role as wood decomposers in forests and are also known as the main cause of biodeterioration of wooden buildings in Japan. Therefore, understanding their decomposition mechanisms is important for the maintenance and preservation of wooden structures. While white-rot fungi generally use enzyme-system for degradation, many brown-rot fungi lack cellobiohydrolases which ...
S Matsumoto, R Tsukida, T Ito, M Iritani, M Yoshida
Synergistic effect of the association of Prosopis juliflora polyphenolic extractives with tebuconazole on the growth inhibition of brown and white rot fungi: a solution to increase the naturality and safety of wood preservation treatment
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20732
The antifungal effect of catechin and extractives from Prosopis juliflora was studied against one white rot fungus, Trametes versicolor (TV), and one brown rot fungus, Rhodonia placenta (PP). The extractives from Prosopis julilfora were crude mesquitol and pure mesquitol. Tebuconazole was used in this study as a known fungicide against the two named fungi. Wood protection using fungicides can be h...
J Owino, J Tuimising, F Mangin, P Gérardin, A Kiprop, C Gérardin-Charbonnier
Properties of plasma etched super black wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30825
Super-black materials have very low reflectivity due to structural absorption of light. They are attracting considerable scientific and industrial attention because of their important applications in many fields including astronomy, photovoltaics, and optical science, amongst others. We have developed the first super-black material from wood by etching transverse basswood (Tilia americana L.) surf...
K J Cheng, X Xu, V A Hernandez, P D Evans