**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY APPROACH FOR WOOD PROTECTION, WITH A FOCUS ON STABILIZATION OF EUGENOL, A VOLATILE NATURAL ANTIMICROBIAL COMPOUND, WITH ZINC OXIDE (ZNO), A MULTIFUNCTIONAL MINERAL, AND PROMOTE AN IN SITU INCORPORATION OF ZNO-EUGENOL CEMENT (ZNO-EG) IN WOOD. ZNO-EG CEMENT IS AN INEXPENSIVE DENTAL FILLING MATERIAL WITH STRONG ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES AND EXCEPTIONAL MECHANICAL STRENGTH. BY INCORPORATING IT IN WOOD, WE WILL EXAMINE ALL THE KEY FACTORS AFFECTING WOOD TREATMENT BY ZNO-EG CEMENT, WHICH ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. THESE INCLUDE: (1) HYBRIDIZE WOOD WITH ZNO-EG CEMENT THROUGH TWO-STEP VACUUM IMPREGNATION, (2) STUDY THE PENETRABILITY OF ZNO-EG IN WOOD STRUCTURE BY MASS GAIN AND BULKING AS WELL AS ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, (3) TEST THE RESISTANCE OF ZNO-EG TO LEACHING DUE TO WEATHERING CONDITIONS AND (4) EXAMINE THE RESISTANCE OF ZNO-EG TREATED WOOD AGAINST BROWN-ROT AND WHITE-ROT FUNGI. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL INCREASE IN THE WOOD DURABILITY, WE EXPECT THAT THE WEATHERING PERFORMANCE, FIRE RESISTANCE AND DIMENSIONAL STABILITY OF ZNO-EG CEMENT HYBRID WOOD WILL IMPROVED DUE TO THE INHERENT UV ABSORBING CHARACTERISTIC AND FIRE-RETARDANT PROPERTIES OF ZNO, AS WELL AS THE EXCEPTIONAL MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF ZNO-EG CEMENT THAT COULD BIND INTO THE WOOD CELL. THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE FROM CHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY AND WOOD SCIENCE. OUR APPROACH WILL OFFER AN INCREASED LIFE OF WOOD PRODUCTS THAT ALLOW FOR LESS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, INCREASED CARBON STORAGE AND BETTER UTILIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.