Posted on 01/16/2020 9:20:20 AM PST by BenLurkin
The team used a 3D sand–hydrogel scaffold that they inoculated with Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 (Synechococcus) — a photosynthetic cyanobacterium that converts CO2 to sugars during photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are well known to survive extreme environmental conditions, including high and low temperature, salinity, and humidity, making them ideal candidates for living materials.
These new materials are also capable of being regenerated from one parent “brick” using temperature and humidity switches. This corresponds to cycles of incubation at 37 °C, followed by low-temperature storage, where the gelatin matrix solidifies and encapsulates the bacteria.
Splitting one brick in half and extending its shape using additional sand and hydrogel scaffolding, Sruber and his co-workers demonstrated the creation of eight new bricks (three successive generations) from a single parent. According to Sruber, this will no doubt shift the way in which we think about current manufacturing practices and how we re-use materials.
However, a trade-off exists between biological viability and mechanical performance because the gelatin gains its maximal strength when dehydrated and the bacteria requires humidity to function. A balance between these two factors was required for this class of living building material, but the researchers believe that the process could be optimized by exploring the use of additives to enhance bacteria tolerance to dry conditions.
Although this technology is still in its infancy and is not intended to completely replace cement completely, it represents a new frontier in material manufacturing: a new class of responsive materials “in which structural function is complemented by biological functions.”
(Excerpt) Read more at advancedsciencenews.com ...
Bacteria Abuse
Bacteria lives matter
Bacteria Rights
Free range bacteria only
Hate crime to use bacteria to build things that man uses
Coming soon forming basic polygons.
No molding need for bricks.
Feed them to ‘SAM’,Semi-Automated Mason.
Meet SAM, the bricklaying robot: 2 min vidieo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVWayhNpHr0
Fantastic Four is becoming reality, one superhero at a time. Of course, the Yancy Street Gang will break in and destroy the research.
Unbelievable!
I tried their patio pavers. They won’t stay put, and now they’re covering the whole bloody yard. I dunno...
About time bioengineering caught up with manga. Grown buildings were in Dominion: Tank Police, and in Battle Angel Alita: Last Order the French colonized Venus and bioengineered everything, including chairs and tables.
Maybe future roads will be paved with a bacteria that melts snow and increases traction, thus eliminating the need for plowing and chemicals under winter conditions.
They convert C02 to sugar? That would make a real sweet house!
That was fun, but appeared to be a dry joint?
No mortar?
They will have to pull it down and do it right.
This is a nice stunt but I doubt it will work in the real world. My guess is that they are doing this in a relatively sterile environment since Synechococcus grows very slowly (doubling time of a couple of hours) even under favorable conditions. Once the culture is contaminated, it will be taken over by faster growing bacteria and the process will become inoperable.
Monolith monsters.
Another interesting article to accompany the link I sent you yesterday.
Did they take humans along for snacks?
I’m having flashbacks to the 1980s post-apocolyptic fiction of a “gas bug”. A series of short stories had a “gas bug” engineered as a Soviet bioweapon that ate gasoline - and got out of control. One novel had a similar germ that ate both plastic and gasoline, throwing us into a steampunk type scenario.
My goodness!
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