Summary Draft #1: Concrete that grows

 

The article “Scientists create living concrete from bacteria and sand”(2020) introduces the usage of bacteria in concrete mixes to make concrete that is able to take in CO₂. The article states that production of cement is one of the top contributors to CO₂ emissions. 

Many possible methods are being explored by researchers but no results cater to cement’s desirable properties. Researchers from University of Colorado Boulder mixed sand, a hydrogel, and bacteria to create a living substance with the strength of cement-based mortar and the prospect to perform photosynthesis.

The researchers used a 3D sand–hydrogel scaffold that contains Cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are able to survive in extreme environmental conditions. It also can convert CO2 to sugars during photosynthesis. These materials are able to be replicated by a parent “brick”. The bricks are still able to perform the same biological functions as the parent brick by separating and extending with hydrogel scaffold.

However, to sustain the bacteria in the brick, there is a tradeoff of the cement’s strength. Bacteria can function in the moist, but the mixture is stronger when its dried. Currently, this technology is still new. It only can be represented a possible alternative to cement in construction.