**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** GIVEN HIGHER DEMANDS OF USING WOOD IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, INCREASING WILDFIRE RISKS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND TIGHTER REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN APPROACHES TO IMPROVE THE FIRE RESISTANCE OF WOOD BUILDING MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY FOR EXTERIOR APPLICATIONS. THE MOST SUSTAINABLE METHOD IS TO ENGINEER BIO-BASED FIRE RETARDANTS THAT ARE NATURALLY DERIVED AND DURABLE, BUT NOT PERSISTENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT. HERE, WE AIM TO ENGINEER NEXT-GENERATION EXTERIOR FIRE-RESISTANT WOOD PRODUCTS USING PHYTIC ACID THAT IS NATURALLY ABUNDANT AND RENEWABLE. THE SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES ARE: (1) TO FABRICATE PHYTIC ACID-TREATED WOOD USING TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES, CHEMICAL MODIFICATION AND BIOMINERALIZATION, AND (2) TO EXAMINE ITS PERFORMANCE WITH REGARD TO WEATHERING, FIRE RESISTANCE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT WOOD (A) GRAFTED WITH PHYTIC ACID OR (B) IN SITU MINERALIZED WITH METALLIC PHYTATES WILL HAVE IMPROVED FIRE RETARDANCY AND UNIMPAIRED MECHANICAL FORCE EVEN UNDER WEATHERED CONDITIONS. THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE FROM CHEMISTRY, MATERIAL ENGINEERING AND WOOD SCIENCE. OUR APPROACH WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, RELIEVING THE PRESSURE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE BY EXTENDING CARBON STORAGE IN THE TREATED WOOD, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE EMPHASIS AREA OF THE BIOPROCESSING AND BIOENGINEERING (A1531) PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY.