{"id":15144,"date":"2025-07-06T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=15144"},"modified":"2025-06-27T15:51:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T15:51:38","slug":"build-mars-self-sustaining-living-material-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/build-mars-self-sustaining-living-material-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"To build on Mars, scientists create self-sustaining &#8216;living&#8217; material"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-gray-200-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 id=\"at-a-glance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">At a Glance<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Researchers are addressing the challenge of extraterrestrial construction by developing a method to build habitats on Mars using only the planet&#8217;s dust and locally available resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The new method involves a &#8220;living&#8221; material where a community of microbes works together to bind loose Martian regolith into a durable, concrete-like substance for building structures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">This synthetic system pairs nutrient-producing cyanobacteria with filamentous fungi, which create a structural web that cements the Martian soil particles into a solid, consolidated body.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The microbial community is entirely self-sustaining, thriving with just Martian air, light, and regolith, which overcomes the limitations of previous single-species construction methods requiring external support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Scientists plan to develop this living material into a specialized &#8220;regolith ink&#8221; that can be used by 3D printers to fabricate entire structures on another world autonomously.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tamu.edu\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Texas A&amp;M University<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unl.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Nebraska-Lincoln<\/a> has developed a novel solution using a \u201cliving\u201d construction material. In a study published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/asmedigitalcollection.asme.org\/manufacturingscience\/article-abstract\/147\/8\/081008\/1218408\/Bio-Manufacturing-of-Engineered-Living-Materials?redirectedFrom=fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering<\/em><\/a>, scientists detail a method for creating self-growing, concrete-like structures by bonding Martian regolith\u2014the planet\u2019s loose soil and rock\u2014with 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/construction-on-mars-t-1.jpg\" ><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A microscopic look at the &#8220;living concrete&#8221; designed for Martian construction. The red, chain-like cyanobacteria produce nutrients, while the clear, web-like fungal filaments create a structural bond, allowing the system to turn Martian dust into a solid building material. (Jin, 2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The team\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/construction-on-mars-t.jpg\" ><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An artist&#8217;s concept of a future Martian habitat. The layered structure could be 3D-printed using a &#8220;living concrete&#8221; made from the planet&#8217;s regolith and a self-sustaining community of microbes. (Johnson\/Texas A&amp;M Engineering, 2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">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. \u201cThe potential of this self-growing technology in enabling long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization is significant,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering.tamu.edu\/etid\/profiles\/jin-congrui-grace.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Congrui Grace Jin<\/a>, an assistant professor at Texas A&amp;M and a researcher on the project, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-mars.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">university press release<\/a>. The next step for the team is to develop a \u201cregolith ink\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 id=\"references\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Nichols, J. &amp; Texas A. &amp; M. University College of Engineering. (2025, June 24). <em>Construction on Mars takes a leap forward<\/em>. Phys.Org; Texas A. &amp; M. University College of Engineering. <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-mars.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-mars.html<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Rokaya, N., Carr, E. C., Wilson, R. A., &amp; Jin, C. (2025). Bio-manufacturing of engineered living materials for martian construction: Design of the synthetic community. <em>Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering<\/em>, <em>147<\/em>(8), 081008. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1115\/1.4068792\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1115\/1.4068792<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scientists have developed a self-sustaining material derived from microbes that can transform Martian dust into concrete for constructing future habitats.\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/construction-on-mars-t.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,17,11,14],"tags":[13929,4786,441,13939,13934,4733,13936,13927,13930,13926,3069,13933,13932,13935,13937,12618,13931,4658,1899,13938,13928,13940,13941],"class_list":{"0":"post-15144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-engineering","8":"category-math-and-the-sciences","9":"category-nature","10":"category-space","11":"tag-3d-printing-mars","12":"tag-autonomous-construction","13":"tag-biomaterials","14":"tag-biomineralization","15":"tag-building-on-mars","16":"tag-cyanobacteria","17":"tag-dr-congrui-grace-jin","18":"tag-extraterrestrial-construction","19":"tag-filamentous-fungi","20":"tag-living-materials","21":"tag-mars-colonization","22":"tag-mars-habitat","23":"tag-martian-regolith","24":"tag-microbiology","25":"tag-regolith-ink","26":"tag-science-news","27":"tag-self-growing-material","28":"tag-space-exploration","29":"tag-space-technology","30":"tag-sustainable-construction","31":"tag-synthetic-lichen","32":"tag-texas-am-university","33":"tag-university-of-nebraska-lincoln","34":"cs-entry","35":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15144"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15145,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15144\/revisions\/15145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}