Page 22 - InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2024

Microbially induced mineralisation of wood
for improved fi re performance

Karen Butina Ogorelec *, Anna Sandak 1,2,3
1,2

1 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia, karen.butina@innorenew.eu, anna.sandak@innorenew.eu
2 Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Titov trg 4, 6000 Koper, Slovenia, karen.butina@iam.upr.si, anna.sandak@iam.upr.si
3 Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8, 6000 Koper, Slovenia,
anna.sandak@famnit.upr.si
* Corresponding author

Wood is increasingly used in the building sector as it is lightweight, heat insulating, has good technical
characteristics, is renewable, and acts as a carbon sink. However, a drawback of wood is its combustibility,
presenting a risk in case of fire. Various approaches have been developed to mitigate this, one of them being

wood mineralisation, most commonly employing calcium carbonate (CaCO ). While improving fi re performance,
3
the process of mineralisation often requires expensive (supercritical CO ) or environmentally questionable
2
(perfusion of wood with NH ) steps.
3
We aim to develop a bioinspired solution for CaCO deposition in timber using biologically induced mineralisation
3

by fungi. To facilitate screening for and quantification of biologically induced mineralisation, an assay will be
developed. Once the best candidate is found and the optimal culturing conditions are identified, these findings

will be translated into an application for wood. A formulation containing the necessary nutrients and a calcium
source will be developed and applied on wood pieces prior to fungal inoculation. Various incubation times and
conditions will be tested, and fungal growth as well as the extent of mineralisation will be assessed. Subsequently,
the material properties of the mineralised wood, including its fire performance, will be evaluated. Based on these

evaluations, the preceding steps will be optimised.

This project serves as a proof-of-concept. While it is unlikely that the manufactured material will immediately
surpass existing materials, it is expected to demonstrate a novel approach that can be further refined and

developed in the future.

Keywords: biologically induced mineralisation, bioinspiration, fungi

Acknowledgment: This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe programme
under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101130838.

22 11–12 SEPTEMBER 2024 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA