Building a colony on Mars presents a monumental challenge: how to construct habitats millions of miles from Earth without the immense cost of shipping materials. Tackling this problem, a team of researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed a novel solution using a “living” construction material. In a study published in the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, scientists detail a method for creating self-growing, concrete-like structures by bonding Martian regolith—the planet’s loose soil and rock—with a specially designed community of microbes. This advancement could enable the autonomous construction of buildings, furniture, and other essential structures in harsh, resource-limited environments.

Previous concepts for Martian construction have explored various methods to bind regolith, including the use of sulfur-based or magnesium-based compounds. Other proposals involved using single species of microbes to create biomineralized bricks. However, these methods require significant human assistance or a continuous supply of nutrients, making them impractical in environments with minimal manpower and resources. To overcome this, the research team aimed to create a completely autonomous system that could sustain itself using only what is available on Mars.

The team’s solution is a self-sustaining synthetic community that mimics natural lichens by pairing two types of microorganisms: cyanobacteria and fungi. The diazotrophic cyanobacteria act as the power source. Through photosynthesis, a process plants use to convert light into energy, they absorb carbon dioxide and nitrogen from the Martian atmosphere to produce oxygen and organic nutrients for their fungal partners. In return, the filamentous fungi create a network of thread-like structures that bind regolith particles together. The fungi also serve as nucleation sites, or starting points, for mineral crystals to form, effectively creating a natural cement while supplying the cyanobacteria with water and other essential minerals.

This symbiotic relationship creates a robust, self-growing material that requires only simulated Martian regolith, air, light, and a basic inorganic liquid to thrive, eliminating the need for external nutrient supplies. “The potential of this self-growing technology in enabling long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization is significant,” said Dr. Congrui Grace Jin, an assistant professor at Texas A&M and a researcher on the project, in a university press release. The next step for the team is to develop a “regolith ink” based on this living material, which could be used with 3D printers to fabricate a wide range of structures, bringing humanity one step closer to inhabiting another world.

References

• Nichols, J. & Texas A. & M. University College of Engineering. (2025, June 24). Construction on Mars takes a leap forward. Phys.Org; Texas A. & M. University College of Engineering. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mars.html

• Rokaya, N., Carr, E. C., Wilson, R. A., & Jin, C. (2025). Bio-manufacturing of engineered living materials for martian construction: Design of the synthetic community. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 147(8), 081008. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4068792