Ben Held

Ben Held
University of Minnesota
Department of Plant Pathology

495 Borlaug Hall
1991 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone:  612-625-6231
Fax:  612-625-9728

E-mail:  bheld@umn.edu
 

My current research is focused on wood deterioration processes in polar environments.  It is largely focused on fungi associated with wood brought to Antarctica by early explorers to the continent from which they built structures to live and work in.  I am identifying fungi that are responsible for decay in the wood that has been left in the harsh polar environment and determining their genetic diversity over a wide geographical region.  It is also of great interest to determine the decay and survival mechanisms of these important organisms in an environment where wood is not normally found.

Professional Experience

Schindelholz, E., R. A. Blanchette, D. Cook, M. Drews, S. Hand, B. W. Held, J. A. Jurgens and B. Seifert. 2007. An Evaluation of supercritical drying and PEG/Freeze drying of waterlogged archaeological wood. Report to the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service. MT-2210-05-NC-10. 55 pages.

Arenz, B. E., B. W. Held, J. A. Jurgens, R. L. Farrell and R. A. Blanchette. 2006. Fungal diversity in soils and historic wood from the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica.Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38:3057-3064.

Duncan, S., R. L. Farrell, J. M. Thwaites, B. W. Held, B. E. Arenz, J. A. Jurgens and R. A. Blanchette. 2006. Endoglucanase-producing fungi isolated from Cape Evans historic expedition hut on Ross Island, Antarctica. Environmental Microbiology. On line issue

Held, B. W., J.A. Jurgens, S.M. Duncan, R.L. Farrell and R.A. Blanchette. 2005. Assessment of fungal diversity and deterioration in a wooden structure at New Harbor, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 29:526-531.

Held, B. W., J. A. Jurgens, B. E. Arenz, S. M. Duncan, R. L. Farrell and R. A. Blanchette. 2005. Environmental factors influencing microbial growth inside the historic huts of Ross Island, Antarctica. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation 55:45-53.

Blanchette, R. A., B. W. Held, J. A. Jurgens, D.L. McNew, T. C. Harrington, S. M. Duncan and R. L. Farrell. 2004. Wood destroying soft rot fungi in the historic expedition huts of Antarctica. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70:1328-1335.

Blanchette, R. A., B. W. Held, J. A. Jurgens and J. E. Haight. 2004. Wood deterioration in Chacoan great houses of the southwestern United States. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 6:204-212.

Farrell, R. L., R. A. Blanchette, M. Auger, S. M. Duncan, B. W. Held, J. A. Jurgens, and R. Minasaki. 2004. Scientific evaluation of deterioration in historic huts of Ross Island, Antarctica. In: S. Barr and P. Chaplin (Eds.), Polar Monuments and Sites: Cultural Heritage in the Arctic and Antarctica Regions. ICOMOS Monuments and Sites Number VIII.

Held B. W., R.A. Blanchette, R.L. Farrell, S. Duncan. 2003. Deterioration and conservation issues associated with Antarctica’s historic. In press. In: R. J.  Koestler, V. R. Koestler, A. E. Charola, and F. E. Nieto-Fernandez, Art, Biology, and Conservation: Biodeterioration of Works of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NewYork.

Held, B.W., J.M. Thwaites, R.L. Farrell and R.A. Blanchette. 2003. Albino strains of Ophiostoma species for biological control of sapstaining fungi. Holzforschung 57: 237-242.

Blanchette, R.A., B.W. Held and R.L. Farrell. 2002. Defibration of wood in the expedition huts of Antarctica: an unusual deterioration process occurring in the polar environment. Polar Record 38 (207): 313-322.

Blanchette, R.A., C.C. Renner, B.W. Held, C. Enoch and S. Angstman.  2002.  The current use of Phellinus igniarius by the Eskimos of Western Alaska.  Mycologist, Vol16 part 4.

Farrell, R.L., J. Mulcahy, R. Nobbs, T. Rose, D. Richardson, A. Ram, J. Thwaites, T. Haryati, B.W. Held, D. McNew, R.A. Blanchette, and T.C. Harrington.  2000.  Research in progress: resin degradation and brightness increase of radiata pine with fungal treatment in lab and mill trials.  p.279-284. In Su, Yu-Chang and E. I. C. Wang (ed.), Proceedings of the international symposium on environmentally friendly and emerging technologies for a sustainable pulp and paper industry.  Taiwan Forestry Institute, Taipei, Taiwan.

Blanchette, R.A., R.L. Farrell, C.J. Behrendt, W. White-McDougall and B.W. Held.  1997. Application of biological control agents in the forest products industry. p. 81-85. In B. Kreber (ed), Strategies for improving protection of logs and lumber.  Forest Research Institute Bulletin No. 204, Rotorua, New Zealand.