Page 12 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2023
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Bioinspired living coating system for wood protection: Exploring
fungal species on biofinish coated wood surfaces
Faksawat Poohphajai 1,2,3*, Ana Gubenšek 1,3, Karen Butina Ogorelec 1,3,
Jakub Sandak 1,3, Anna Sandak 1,3,4
1 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia. faksawat.poohphajai@innorenew.eu, ana.gubensek@innorenew.eu,
karen.butina@innorenew.eu, jakub.sandak@innorenew.eu, anna.sandak@innorenew.eu
2 Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076 Aalto, Finland,
faksawat.poohphajai@aalto.fi
3 Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper, Slovenia, jakub.sandak@iam.upr.si, anna.sandak@iam.upr.si
4 Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia,
anna.sandak@famnit.upr.si
* Corresponding author
The service life of timber products exposed to natural weathering limits the broad use of wood as an external building
element. Biofinish is a novel surface finishing solution based on the bioinspired concept designed for effective wood
protection. This innovative surface finishing approach enhances the wood's hydrophobicity through oil treatment,
resulting in improved dimensional stability. Living cells of Aureobasidium pullulans effectively shield wood from
deterioration caused by infestation of other competitive fungi. The melanin pigment produced by the fungus provides
an appealing dark surface and protects against UV radiation. Another noteworthy advantage of using living cells of A.
pullulans as a coating system is its remarkable self-healing ability. This property does not exist in any traditional wood
protection systems, which distinguishes Biofinish from conventional wood protection methods (Sailer et al., 2010).
This study aimed to identify fungal species on the surfaces of in-service wood coated with Biofinish. Additionally, it
evaluated Biofinish's protective properties against wood-infesting fungi and assessed the survival and adaptation of
A. pullulans within the coating during its in-service period. The study was performed on the façade of the InnoRenew
CoE building in Izola, Slovenia, following a 9-month exposure period. The façade is comprised of European Larch wood
(Larix decidua) treated with linseed oil and coated with Biofinish. Swab samples were collected from wood surfaces
at 0.5 and 4 meters in all four cardinal directions of the building and cultured on nutrient media. Morphological
characteristics and sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA from the ITS regions of rRNA gene clusters were used for
fungal identification. The majority of species detected belonged to the Ascomycetes genera Aureobasidium and
Cladosporium. The results indicated the survival of A. pullulans within the Biofinish coating after nine months of
service.
Keywords: wood treatment, building material, fungal colonisation, self-repairing
Acknowledgement: The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from the European Union (ERC, ARCHI-
SKIN, #101044468). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily
reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting
authority can be held responsible for them. Part of this work was conducted during the project WoodLCC, which is
supported under the umbrella of ERA-NET Cofund ForestValue by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
(MIZS) – Slovenia. The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew project
(Grant Agreement #739574) under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program, the Republic of Slovenia
(investment funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund).
Special thanks to M. Sailer (Xylho) for providing the Biofinish product for testing.
REFERENCES
Sailer, M.F., van Nieuwenhuijzen, E.J., Knol, W., 2010. Forming of a functional biofilm on wood surfaces. Ecol.
Eng. 36, 163–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.02.004
12 1 3 – 1 4 S E PT E M B E R 2 0 2 3 I I Z O L A , S LOVE N I A
fungal species on biofinish coated wood surfaces
Faksawat Poohphajai 1,2,3*, Ana Gubenšek 1,3, Karen Butina Ogorelec 1,3,
Jakub Sandak 1,3, Anna Sandak 1,3,4
1 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia. faksawat.poohphajai@innorenew.eu, ana.gubensek@innorenew.eu,
karen.butina@innorenew.eu, jakub.sandak@innorenew.eu, anna.sandak@innorenew.eu
2 Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076 Aalto, Finland,
faksawat.poohphajai@aalto.fi
3 Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper, Slovenia, jakub.sandak@iam.upr.si, anna.sandak@iam.upr.si
4 Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia,
anna.sandak@famnit.upr.si
* Corresponding author
The service life of timber products exposed to natural weathering limits the broad use of wood as an external building
element. Biofinish is a novel surface finishing solution based on the bioinspired concept designed for effective wood
protection. This innovative surface finishing approach enhances the wood's hydrophobicity through oil treatment,
resulting in improved dimensional stability. Living cells of Aureobasidium pullulans effectively shield wood from
deterioration caused by infestation of other competitive fungi. The melanin pigment produced by the fungus provides
an appealing dark surface and protects against UV radiation. Another noteworthy advantage of using living cells of A.
pullulans as a coating system is its remarkable self-healing ability. This property does not exist in any traditional wood
protection systems, which distinguishes Biofinish from conventional wood protection methods (Sailer et al., 2010).
This study aimed to identify fungal species on the surfaces of in-service wood coated with Biofinish. Additionally, it
evaluated Biofinish's protective properties against wood-infesting fungi and assessed the survival and adaptation of
A. pullulans within the coating during its in-service period. The study was performed on the façade of the InnoRenew
CoE building in Izola, Slovenia, following a 9-month exposure period. The façade is comprised of European Larch wood
(Larix decidua) treated with linseed oil and coated with Biofinish. Swab samples were collected from wood surfaces
at 0.5 and 4 meters in all four cardinal directions of the building and cultured on nutrient media. Morphological
characteristics and sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA from the ITS regions of rRNA gene clusters were used for
fungal identification. The majority of species detected belonged to the Ascomycetes genera Aureobasidium and
Cladosporium. The results indicated the survival of A. pullulans within the Biofinish coating after nine months of
service.
Keywords: wood treatment, building material, fungal colonisation, self-repairing
Acknowledgement: The authors gratefully acknowledge receiving funding from the European Union (ERC, ARCHI-
SKIN, #101044468). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily
reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting
authority can be held responsible for them. Part of this work was conducted during the project WoodLCC, which is
supported under the umbrella of ERA-NET Cofund ForestValue by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
(MIZS) – Slovenia. The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew project
(Grant Agreement #739574) under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program, the Republic of Slovenia
(investment funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund).
Special thanks to M. Sailer (Xylho) for providing the Biofinish product for testing.
REFERENCES
Sailer, M.F., van Nieuwenhuijzen, E.J., Knol, W., 2010. Forming of a functional biofilm on wood surfaces. Ecol.
Eng. 36, 163–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.02.004
12 1 3 – 1 4 S E PT E M B E R 2 0 2 3 I I Z O L A , S LOVE N I A
