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Dark homogenous fungal-based layers called biofinishes and vegetable oils are keyingredients of an innovative wood protecting system. The aim of this study was todetermine which of the vegetable oils that have been used to generate biofinishes onwood will provide carbon and energy for the biofinish-inhabiting fungus Aureobasidiummelanogenum, and to determine the effect of the oil type and the amount of oil on thecell yield. Aureobasidium melanogenum was cultivated in shake flasks with differenttypes and amounts of carbon-based nutrients. Oil-related total cell and colony-formingunit growth were demonstrated in suspensions with initially 1% raw linseed,stand linseed, and olive oil. Oil-related cell growth was also demonstrated with rawlinseed oil, using an initial amount of 0.02% and an oil addition during cultivation. Nilered staining showed the accumulation of fatty acids inside cells grown in the presenceof oil. In conclusion, each tested vegetable oil was used as carbon and energysource by A. melanogenum. The results indicated that stand linseed oil provides lesscarbon and energy than olive and raw linseed oil. This research is a fundamental stepin unraveling the effects of vegetable oils on biofinish formation.

Concepts to protect wood from factors like ultraviolet (UV) radiation, water and wood-decaying fungi with the help of fungi exist in different variants. The idea to treat wood with the help of linseed oil and the living fungus Aureobasidium pullulans originated in 1996 during an European project assessing sustainable protection systems (Sailer et al., 2010). At that time, wood impregnated with natural oils resulted surprisingly in an evenly dark colored surface. These color changes were usually associated with irregular discoloration and staining and were further investigated. It has been shown that the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans was growing on surfaces treated with linseed oil. The fact that Aureobasium pullulans reproducibly grows on water repellent linseed surfaces in many regions around the world makes it suitable for use in a wide range of applications. Research did show that Aureobasidium pullulans produces pigments and binders on its own. This contribution documents the investigation to, identify the possibilities of biological wood surface treatment with Aureobasidium. The combination of the hydrophobizing effect of linseed oil and the surface treatment with the so-called biofinish creates an aesthetically appealing dark living surface, which significantly prolongs the life of wood outdoors and reduces maintenance costs. Since the idea has been developed into an industrially applicable process (Xyhlo biofinish, 2018). Using this concept, building components e.g. façades can be protected with a biological and functional coating thereby contribution to lessen the environmental impact of buildings.

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