** 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 THE INCREASING DEMANDS FOR WOOD IN GREEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN WOOD PROTECTION APPROACHES, ESPECIALLY FOR EXTERIOR CONDITIONS. PREVENTATIVE PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT IS THE MOST ECONOMICALLY VIABLE WAY TO INCREASE CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN WOODEN BUILDINGS WHILE MAINTAINING A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER, ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS FOR WOOD PROTECTION HAVE YET TO BE DEVELOPED. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ENGINEER BIO-BASED PRESERVATIVES OF AGRICULTURAL ORIGIN, IN PARTICULAR, FROM POTATO PEEL WASTES (PPW) EXTRACTS, THROUGH LACCASE-ASSISTED ENZYMATIC BIO-GRAFTING FOR INCREASED DURABILITY OF WOOD UNDER OUTDOOR CONDITIONS. THE SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (1) DEVELOP DURABLE WOODEN MATERIAL BY ENZYMATIC GRAFTING OF PPW EXTRACTS AND (2) ELUCIDATE THE ANTIMICROBIAL MECHANISM OF PPW EXTRACTS AGAINST COMMON WOOD-DECAYING FUNGI. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT NON-DURABLE WOOD GRAFTED WITH PPW EXTRACTS WITH THE AID OF LACCASE ENZYME WILL HAVE INCREASED DURABILITY AND REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WHILE HELPING CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN BOTH POTATO AND FOREST PRODUCT INDUSTRIES IN THE STATE OF IDAHO AND BEYOND. OUR APPROACH WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS BY PRODUCING BIOBASED PRODUCTS TO ENABLE BIOECONOMY WITH EXTENDED CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE EMPHASIS AREA OF THE SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY THROUGH BIOBASED PRODUCTS (A1414) PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY.