University of Colorado Boulder scientists have developed a biological cement which combines sand and bacteria to bare a significant structural load. Their research is published in the journal Matter.
Utilizing a scaffold made of sand and hydrogel, bacteria populate and grow. The hydrogel ensures moisture is retained and nutrients are provided to the bacteria. The growth process is replicated from a similar process in the formation of seashells in the ocean. The result is a living material that yields comparable strength to that of cement-based mortar. The biomaterials application can be the answer to many of the common issues seen with cracking and long-term wear in cement. Not only is the material alive, but it reproduces with potential self-healing properties.
Wil Srubar, Director of the Living Materials Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, said “We use photosynthetic cyanobacteria to biomineralize the scaffold, so it actually is really green. It looks like a Frankenstein-type material”. She continued, “That's exactly what we're trying to create--something that stays alive. What we're really excited about is that this challenges the conventional ways in which we manufacture structural building materials".