Use of X-rays to advance wood-decay knowledge leads to honor for Forest Products Lab biologist

A biologist at the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory in Madison has been honored for her innovative use of physics technology that has led to advances in understanding the molecular and chemical processes involved in fungal wood decay, opening the way to the development of new, environmentally preferable methods for protecting wood, the Forest Products Laboratory has reported.

The discoveries are considered important because nearly 10 percent of the 300 million tons of trees harvested annually in the United States are used to replace wood products damaged by decay.

Research plant pathologist Barbara L. Illman, who works at the Forest Products Lab in Madison, received the 2005 Chief’s Honor Award for Distinguished Science for her work on wood decay and for other work.

The award was presented in a recent Washington ceremony by Dale Bosworth, chief of the Forest Service, who cited Illman for her research in "applying solid-state physics techniques to forestry problems, invasive species mitigation research, bioremediation research, and contributions to long-term ecological research

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