Serpula (fungus) cover the surface they are growing on (known as the substrate). The hymenophore, or spore-forming surface, generally has a wrinkled appearance. The species grow on, and digest, mainly coniferous wood, causing a process known as brown rot. One species, dry rot ("S. lacrymans"), is a highly destructive agent of houses. Damp structural timber is an ideal substrate for the germination of "Serpula" spores. The fungal hyphae penetrate the wood and release enzymes that break down structural polysaccharides such as cellulose. There may be no external indications that the fungus is present until the rot is far advanced and fruit bodies
Aiken Technical College fall of 1972. One hundred and seventy-seven students enrolled in the first class of what was then the Aiken Technical Education Center. The current campus opened in the winter of 1973. The original ATC campus consisted of three buildings constructed at a cost of $2.3 million — $80,000 provided by Aiken County and the remainder from federal education grants. Founding President Ashley J. Little led ATC from its beginning as a vocationally based training center to its accreditation as a two-year technical college in 1975. The College’s name was changed to Aiken Technical College in 1977. President Little also presided