Hydrophobins in wood biology and biotechnology The main aims of this research were to study the role of hydrophobins in wood decay processes and to test the ability of these proteins to coat surfaces particularly wood surfaces. Hydrophobins are small amphiphatic fungal proteins that are known to decrease the surface tension of moist surfaces (water air interfaces) to help in the formation of aerial hyphae by coating them with a protein film and making them hydrophobic and to support attachment of the fungal hyphae to hydrophobic materials. The SC3 hydrophobin from Schizophyllum commune is the best studied hydrophobin until now. Another protein SC15 is known to act supportive to the SC3 hydrophobin in the formation of aerial hyphae and their attachment to surfaces and in the absence of the SC3 hydrophobin it mediates low levels of hyphal hydrophobicity and attachments ...