Researchers at McGill University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering have discovered a simple and low-cost method to engineer living materials such as tissues, organs, and blood clots. By applying controlled vibration to these materials as they form, scientists can influence their strength and weakness. The technique, which uses a speaker to agitate the materials, works across a range of soft cellular materials, including blood clots and human tissues. The findings, published in Advanced Functional Materials, have potential applications in organ transplants, wound healing, and regenerative medicine. The method can make materials up to four times stronger or weaker, depending on the need. This technique is safer and more scalable than previous methods, which relied on physical forces like magnets or ultrasound waves. The researchers believe that this method could one day be integrated into advanced medical devices or wound-healing techniques, and could be used to create portable medical devices or smart bandages that speed up healing. Further testing is required before the method can be used in real-life medical settings.
Scientists at McGill University have created a groundbreaking method using controlled vibrations to enhance the quality of lab-cultured tissues in a safe and efficient manner.
Researchers at McGill University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering have discovered a simple and low-cost method to engineer living materials such as tissues, organs, and blood clots. By applying controlled vibrations to these materials as they form, scientists can influence their strength or weakness. The technique uses a speaker to gently agitate the materials, allowing cells to organize and form stronger or weaker structures. The method has been tested on various cell-laden materials, including blood-based gels and tissues, and has been shown to work in animal tests without harming surrounding healthy tissues. The potential applications of this technique include organ transplants, wound healing, and regenerative medicine. The researchers believe that this method could be integrated into advanced medical devices or wound-healing techniques, and could lead to the development of portable medical devices, such as a hand-held tool to stop bleeding or a smart bandage that speeds up healing. Further testing is required before the method can be used in real-life medical settings.
Tattoo-like coatings on buildings may revolutionize architecture by enabling structures to purify the air and repair themselves autonomously.
Researchers are working on a project called REMEDY to create “living tattoos” on building walls by applying living microorganisms using inkjet printing technology. These microorganisms can sense stress, capture CO2 and pollutants, and even repair cracks in the walls. The goal is to turn passive building surfaces into active bio-interfaces, making buildings more sustainable and adaptive. The team is selecting specific microbial groups that can coexist and serve specific purposes, such as sensing gas or pollutant levels. The living tattoos could be used to create patches that repair and maintain buildings, and even produce oxygen and sequester carbon. The method of application is challenging, but the team is working with companies to modify printers that can handle biologically active ink. The results could be transformative, allowing buildings to become more sustainable and self-repairing. The researchers expect that in 50 years, building tattoos will become commonplace, and new buildings will be expected to have a positive environmental footprint. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we build and maintain buildings, making them more interactive and sustainable.
Researchers create innovative method to construct Martian habitats utilizing microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria.
Scientists are working to make Mars a second home for humans, but a major question remains: how to build structures on the planet without shipping heavy materials from Earth. Researchers at Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Congrui Grace Jin, are developing a solution using Martian soil and natural resources. They have created a synthetic lichen system that combines fungi and cyanobacteria to produce strong building materials. The system is self-sustaining, requiring only Martian regolith, air, light, and an inorganic liquid medium to grow.
The team’s goal is to create regolith ink for 3D printing, allowing for the construction of structures such as buildings, houses, and furniture. This technology has the potential to enable long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization. The synthetic lichen system can survive in harsh environments, making it ideal for Martian conditions. NASA has funded the research, which could redefine construction by bringing biology and engineering together. The ultimate goal is to have a system that can be loaded onto a spacecraft and activated upon arrival, growing itself into a shelter for the first humans to set foot on Mars.
Revolutionary new material created through 3D printing has the unique ability to expand, absorb oxygen, and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Scientists at ETH Zurich are creating “living materials” that combine biology and design to capture carbon dioxide from the air. The material is a 3D-printable gel filled with cyanobacteria, which can grow, breathe, and remove CO2. The bacteria turn CO2 and water into biomass, and as they grow, they create an alkaline environment that forms minerals, making the material harder and stronger. The team has successfully tested the material, which can absorb CO2 for over a year, storing around 26 milligrams of CO2 per gram of material. The material is created using a hydrogel, which provides a habitat for the cyanobacteria, and 3D printing, which allows for the creation of complex shapes that maximize surface area. The researchers envision using this material in architecture to create buildings that can capture CO2 and help mitigate climate change. The technology is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to be scaled up and used in everyday buildings, providing a low-energy and high-impact solution for carbon capture.
Engineers and biologists have found that living materials can be created seamlessly in a sustainable manner.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have made a breakthrough in creating Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) that combine living microbes with synthetic polymers. ELMs have the potential to remove pollutants from water, release oxygen into wounds, and self-heal after damage. The team, consisting of engineers and biologists, discovered a new method of introducing living cells into a polymer after it has been formed, using a temperature-sensitive polymer that can “shape-shift”. This approach allows for the use of a wider variety of polymers, including those that were previously off-limits due to their toxicity to living cells. The researchers used cyanobacteria, which can be genetically engineered to produce chemicals or clean pollutants, and found that they can soften and change the shape of the polymer. This discovery has the potential to lead to sustainable materials that can harness the sun’s energy, and could become a game-changer in the construction industry. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary research and could pave the way for the development of new, sustainable materials.
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Researchers develop innovative 3D-printed substance that absorbs carbon dioxide.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new photosynthetic material that can grow, harden, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while staying alive. The material uses cyanobacteria, ancient microbes that are highly efficient at photosynthesis, embedded in a printable hydrogel. The bacteria form a living structure that grows using sunlight, CO2, and nutrient-rich artificial seawater, and over time, they trigger mineralization, hardening the material and storing carbon in solid form. The material can store carbon not only in biomass but also in the form of minerals, with laboratory tests showing that it can bind CO2 for 400 days. The team sees the living material as a low-energy, environmentally friendly alternative to industrial forms of carbon capture, and they envision using it as a coating for building façades to bind CO2 throughout the entire life cycle of a building. The technology is still experimental, but it has already captured the imagination of architects, with a recent exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale showcasing the material’s potential.
Scientists Develop Innovative Organic Substance Capable of Capturing Carbon Dioxide
Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a biologically active material that can absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and is suitable for 3D printing. The material consists of a gel containing cyanobacteria, which can perform photosynthesis in low light conditions. It uses two mechanisms to capture carbon: an organic mechanism where bacteria convert CO₂ into biomass, and a mineral mechanism where bacteria produce carbonate minerals that store carbon in a stable form. Laboratory tests showed that the material can absorb CO₂ for up to 400 days, binding approximately 26 milligrams of carbon dioxide per gram of material. The material has been used in architectural projects, such as the “Picoplanktonics” installation, which can absorb up to 18 kg of CO₂ per year. The technology is environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and only requires sunlight, artificial seawater, and atmospheric CO₂ to grow. The researchers envision using this material as façade coatings for buildings, turning urban environments into massive carbon sinks.
Soft robots inspired by plants – interview with Isabella Fiorello
Claire chatted to Isabella Fiorello from the University of Freiburg about plant-inspired robots made from living materials. Isabella …
[Music] robot talk is the podcast that sits down with robot enthusiasts from around the world and ask them the questions you always want it answered like is that a robot or a plant and how does that thing work [Music] hello everyone welcome to robot talk I’m your host Claire Asher and this week’s episode is exploring an exciting new area of research that is taking inspiration from Plants to create robots that are soft adaptable and biodegradable before we get started I’d like to remind you that you can send in questions for my future guests and there are a few different ways you can do that you can submit questions on the website at robot talk.org or on patreon at patreon.com slcl aser or you can contact me on social media at robot talkpod so with all that said let’s get on with this week’s interview I recently had a really interesting conversation with Isabella fiell from the University of fryberg about plant inspired robots made from living [Music] materials this week I’m chatting to Isabella fiell a researcher at the University of fryberg working on biologically inspired hybrid materials hi Isabella welcome to robot talk hi Claire so you lead the bioinspired plant hybrid materials group uh where you’re developing new materials for applications in Soft Robotics Precision Agriculture and space exploration so first of all can you explain what a plant hybrid material is so thank you so much for the question actually I start my group here just recently in fror where my group is working on these materials that are not only bio inspired but also bioh hybrid in the sense that this material not only Tak in IR Iration from living organism especially plants in my case but also embed parts of the plants itself in the materials for example I create some materials that have actuation properties thanks to the parts of the plants embedded in the material or for example these materials can have sensing properties respect to the parts that you embed in the material itself so actually we can create materials that have the morphology let’s say the biomechanics of plants and also can be like functionalized to do some specific task like for example moving over the soil like in my last paper um or for example like send some parameters and so on amazing I mean it’s yeah truly quite sci-fi I love it thank you so much how do you go about like embedding parts of a plant into I guess a synthetic material yeah actually in my last paper the one publish in advanced material I create these biohybrid robots which was inspired by aena sterilis which is the common wild o maybe you know it it’s very common you can find everywhere in the field in many different habitats and so my idea was to create artificially the head the capsule of the robots and this I did using different micromanufacturing technique but then I remove some parts from the natural fruits of the plants these parts are calleded owns and there are some parts that thanks to humidity can move uh in different environments so what I did was really to embed these parts in the synthetic materials and so then thanks to this Parts the robots can move on and into the soils because the owns of the natural plants itself can do it so actually the idea was to mimic really the behavior of the plants but also the morphology and the mechanics of the plants and then functionalize the head of the robots with for example in our case with some other seats okay for reforestation applications okay so yeah the it buries itself in the soil right yes exactly you have these robot that can uh move autonomously so don’t need any energy because the energy is embedded in the material itself and can be functionalized uh like I say with other seeds for example or fertilizer and so on and then can move inside for example the soil cracks or irregularities so the robots find autonomously this cracks and then it go inside that and it start to degrade to be us it to deliver something like for example fertilizer as I say or others that’s that’s amazing so yeah completely biodegradable automatic planting or fertilizing of the soil yes exactly it’s fully biodegradable I would say it’s also edible so it’s not affect the biodiversity let’s say because it’s made by a flow material the capsule is totally biodegradable and edible and the owns are taken from the natural plants so actually you don’t have any uh dangerous or toxic materials in the environment that’s really cool um so where do you get your inspiration from do you start with the problem or do you start from like observing the natural world and going oh this is a really cool property what can I do with that yes or a bit of both maybe the idea at the beginning was to create a new actuators inspired by this plans but then after looking at the plants which is this plant I told you AA sterilis which has two interactive sister ownes that actually interact each other they rotate interact and then accumulate elastic energy and then the robots release the energy and the robots can also move by jumping over the soil so this is the moment so what I would really do is to let me say really create a biohybrid system because this was the first hybrid system inspired also by by wild fruid and also the first system that really embed parts of the plant itself and these are dead tissue of the plants so it’s not a living tissue it’s not like you are removing don’t know for example a leaf or something and then the the leaf will of course die know because nutrients and so on but in this case because it’s a dead tissue also if you remove from the plants it’s remain with the properties with the proper functionalities and so I can use it as actuator for the robots and the inspiration I have just really looking at the at the fluids and uh at the beginning I was thinking to do these actuators but then really was too difficult to mimic and so I decided to also embed the part of the plant itself and plus was working so yeah fantastic decide to continue with this yeah I think I’ve spoken to a lot of people who do like bioinspired robotics but usually they are trying to you know copy a mechanism rather than actually embed the once living material into the into the robot itself yeah exactly that’s also the novelty know the of this work that we publish in advanced material yeah I think maybe a lot of listeners might not actually be aware like there’s an awful lot of plants that have different structures that kind of change in response to different conditions like I’m aware of like pine cones which open up to release their seeds and these these structures that sort of essentially sense the environment and then and then respond in somewhere quite quite amazing yeah actually what you say it’s uh perfectly correct because for example also the pine cones can be used for a similar applications actually here in fror there are a lot of peoples also working on this Pine con mechanism and it could be also cool to do a robots that Ed this part I mean because the the field is so new there are also so many applications that can be done in this direction so also my group we are working more on bio inspired of FS but also biohybrid system and for biohybrid I really mean in this moment to embed that issue of plants for example or also in the last period I’m working on some materials which are inspired by plants but that for example also embed some microalga inside okay this I did during my stay at the California Institute of Technology for five month and in this case this material can also for example self heal so like some selfing properties but as like the shape and the morphology of natural plants that’s really cool yeah I haven’t come across anyone else who’s really working in this area is it is it really kind of really new yeah it’s a really new area there are very few people in the world that I mean on this bio hybrid I think really it’s really a new field but there are some group that work on plant inspired structures of course my past supervisor Barbara matai she’s the pioneer of the plant inspired robotics because in ha lab they create for example the first robots inspired by the plant roots that can also grow inside the soil and be use it to monitor different parameters and yeah and now there are also other groups in the world that start working on this yeah I think most of the bioinspired robots I’ve seen before are usually inspired by animals yes yes yes exactly people don’t give plants enough credit for like being really smart and adaptable and responding and and moving and doing all kinds of things that we don’t kind of traditionally think of plants as doing yeah that’s true actually there are a lot of groups that work on animals for example there are robots inspired by the gofit or by the be by the octopus and so on uh but there are uh yeah very few group working on Plants but I will say in the last per there were also a lot of materials especially materials not really robots sometimes it’s just a material that is inspired by the micro structures especially of plants or the internal structure of the plants especially because plants are really important for the biomechanical properties because they they can’t move like animals so they can’t escape the environment in which they grow so they have to ADT to the environments and to do it they develop different biomechanical and morphological properties that can be really interesting for different application in robotics in architecture in space Explorer I mean there are many different application one one project of yours that caught my eye was a a tiny climbing robot um that’s inspired by the hooked leaves of plants um so can you tell us a bit about that yes sure actually this was my PhD project okay and um to do it I took inspiration from a plants which is called garina and this plants are some small micro oops over the leaf what I did was to take inspiration from the morphology and biomechanics of these microbes to create a materials a micro patterned materials which has the same shape of the micro HS of gum aerin and so I created these ades that were um use it for reversible attachment to many different surfaces like for example I tested to textile tissue or skin tissue or also to LIF tissue I actually have also a early career National Geographic Grant on this topic especially the micro oops on the leaf attachment and what we did in my past group was to embed also these micro with sensors to create a multiparameter sensor that can like attach over the upper and lower side of the leaf to monitor remotely different parameters or we did this tiny climbing robots actually we create this sort of mini car where we attach the micro HS and the robots with the micro HS was able to climb but different surface while the robots without was not able to do it that was very funny then I did also some other work connected to to that that’s really cool yeah so it’s kind of the plant version of velcro it’s a sort of velcro but there is a one main difference with velcro because with velcro you have first of all a micro hook that has a different shape and this shape I mean when you have a loop part and a hook part you need a force to detach the two parts yeah instead in my specific case I have um let me say a micro hook that is Direction based so actually you can just remove the micro hook just changing the direction of the applied low so this is very useful for example for application like climbing robots or for example for manipulation applications and also another big difference is that our micro can be used not only to textiles but also over Leaf surface for example and especially in the leaf surface I forgot to say that the microps can not only attach but can also be used to deliver molecules inside the plant vascular tissue right and actually we have also a patent on this technology because was the first technology that can really attach sense and also deliver molecules inside the plant vascular tissue yeah it sounds like there’s probably an lot of applications for that but do you have any specific ones in mind yeah actually I would love that in the future this technology can be used for yeah of course Precision agriculture so especially you can think to use this kind of device for example to treat some disease in plants for example there is Cella fastidiosa that is a very a very dangerous disease for plants and this is inside the FL and the celum of the plants and with the micro hooks you can directly access to the cilum and the FL of the plants and you could directly derive for example some bacter sides inside them to to fight with this kind of disease instead of spraying the pesticides over the cuticle of so for listeners who aren’t familiar the xylm and flum is kind of like the circulatory system of a plant for lack of a better way of explaining it yeah yeah so you’re you’re kind of injecting a medicine into the plant essentially yes exactly it’s like it’s a sort of let’s say micro needle device you know there are this device used especially for skin tissue but in our case we are developing a micro device that is instead to treat plants yeah so you can think to use this technology for something like this or for example also for research purpose if you need that tool to deliver something in a precise way inside the Lea surface yeah yeah so I I just love the idea of like a little robot wandering around the field and then like finding a plant that’s infected and kind of climbing up and injecting it with some medicine that’s that would be really cool yeah yeah at the moment we are a bit far from this but I mean we have some let’s say preliminary encouraging Publications sure yeah I I do tend to get ahead of myself with imagining where this this stuff could go we’ve talked quite a lot about applications in Precision agriculture um you also mentioned space exploration how do you see plant hybrid materials or or bioinspired materials being used in that kind of domain yeah that’s a very nice question actually I really love space applications is one of my main passion let’s say and I would love to apply the technology that I develop the one of the aen aets I mean the biohybrid robots that can move on and into the soil also in space simulants like for example Mars simulants or for example also lunar simulants because you can for example use this kind of robots to increase the fertility of the soil in space right like imagine you have this device that is autonomously moving over of course at the beginning will be a reconstructed space environment but you can like release these robots and these robots can move and plant itself in the soil and you know that we have a big problem of I mean we can’t plant anything in the soil in space at the moment so this can be a first um tool biohybrid tool inspired by plants that can be used to plant plants in space yeah like part of a kind of terraforming project I guess yes something like this yes yes like for a sort of reforestation in Bas scenario yeah when I hear about ideas about how we might colonize another planet obviously the common theme is that we send robots to kind of get things set up for us first yeah um but yeah they rarely talk about robots being able to plant forests for us so that would be cool yeah but is there soil on like Mars or the moon isn’t it just like Dusty yeah yeah I mean there actually I I have now because I bought from a startup so it’s possible to buy this Mars soil simulant so oh and uh I plan to test it in the future yeah I hope also to get some big grants on this so that I will have some people working on Space projects awesome yeah that’s that’s really cool um there any other projects you’d like to talk about yeah I mean the last period I’m working more on um aquatic plants so not only terrestrial plants okay and so I hope in the near future to have a publication on this because we are in the last phase at the moment and also my PhD students she just started eight months ago and we are working on also an aquatic robot so stay tuned at because yeah absolutely I mean this is it’s a really Noel fascinating area of research and I can see there being like just so many different areas you could apply this to so I’m very excited to hear about what you get up to in the future thank you so much Isabella it’s been really fun talking to you today I’ve been speaking to Isabella fiell from the University of fryberg thank you thank you so [Music] much thanks for listening if you enjoy robot talk please share the podcast subscribe and leave a review it really helps boost the podcast so thanks in advance and make sure you check out at robot talkpod on social media to see a photo of the miniature biohybrid robot that can bury itself in the soil which Isabella and I talked about I thought you might like to hear a sneak peek of this month’s bonus episode what is one thing about your field that you wish more people knew I think I would like people to know that robots are not only very complex robust and impressive systems but they are also a bit dumb they’re a bit dummies in a way because they require a lot of work to make them work you know you have to know exactly how to Wrangle them uh to make them work so I think that that’ be nice thing to communicate to people yeah absolutely yeah I think people assume when because they see that the robot is kind of autonomous and is doing some things on its own they kind of assume that it is like you know a cat or a dog and kind of can just look after itself and we’ll just be fine and and functional without any kind of input yeah scale drone operations is technically crazy hard we do more engineering that most people would never assume we do that that yeah it boggles people’s minds when they see it if you’d like to hear more from this bonus episode sign up as a supporter on patreon by going to patreon.com slcl aser and you’ll get access to the full catalog of bonus content next week I’m talking to keen and wbec from zipline about delivering Medicine by drone until then I’ve been Claire Asher and this has been robot talk robot talk is brought to you by the Hamlin Center Imperial College London [Music] oh
Researchers have created a bizarre, living 3D printed gel that consumes carbon dioxide in a unique, dual-process method.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a groundbreaking new material that not only grows but also removes CO2 from the air, twice. The material is made from a printable gel infused with cyanobacteria, which are highly efficient at photosynthesis. When exposed to sunlight and artificial seawater, the material grows and binds carbon dioxide from the air. This “photosynthetic living material” has the potential to provide invaluable opportunities in the fight against climate change. The material can be shaped using 3D printing and can absorb as much carbon in a year as a 20-year-old pine tree. According to ETH Professor Mark Tibbitt, it could be used as a building material to store CO2 directly in buildings. The material is being showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale, where visitors can see it in action in an installation of tree-like columns. This innovative material offers a promising solution for reducing carbon dioxide levels and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Researchers develop innovative biological building material that absorbs carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere
Researchers at ETH Zurich have created a “living material” that combines conventional materials with microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae, and fungi. The material, which is made with photosynthetic bacteria, can absorb CO2 from the air through photosynthesis and store it in a stable form. The material can be shaped using 3D printing and only requires sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow. It has the potential to be used as a building material, storing CO2 directly in buildings and reducing the carbon footprint of construction.
The material has been tested in laboratory settings and has shown promising results, binding CO2 continuously over a period of 400 days. The researchers envision using the material as a coating for building facades, which could bind CO2 throughout the entire life cycle of a building. The material has already been used in two installations, one in Venice and one in Milan, which demonstrate its potential for use in architecture. The research is part of the ALIVE initiative, which promotes collaboration between researchers from different disciplines to develop new living materials for a wide range of applications.
Researchers develop innovative construction material capable of absorbing and storing carbon dioxide.
Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a living building material that can store carbon dioxide from the air using growing bacteria and hydrogel. The material, which combines cyanobacteria with hydrogel, can be shaped using a 3D printer and grows over time, removing carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. The material only needs sunlight, artificial seawater with nutrients, and carbon dioxide to survive. As the bacteria grows, it forms minerals that trap the carbon dioxide in a stable way, making it harder and stronger over time. The scientists have tested the material in laboratory tests, where it absorbed carbon dioxide for over 400 days. The material has already been applied to several projects, including the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 and the Triennale Milano, where it was used to create a green layer on wood that absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. This innovative material has the potential to be used in architecture to store carbon and help fight climate change.
A revolutionary, carbon-storing substance that doubles as a living construction material
Researchers have developed 3D-printed living structures that can bind CO2 from the atmosphere, providing a low-energy and environmentally friendly approach to carbon sequestration. The structures are composed of a hydrogel that harbors cyanobacteria, which are highly efficient at photosynthesis and can utilize even weak light to produce biomass from CO2 and water. As a result of photosynthesis, the bacteria precipitate solid carbonates, such as lime, which store CO2 in a stable form. The material has been shown to bind CO2 continuously over a period of 400 days, with a significant amount of CO2 stored in mineral form. The researchers envision using this material as a coating for building facades to bind CO2 throughout the entire life cycle of a building. Initial experiments have been realized in installations in Venice and Milan, demonstrating the potential of living materials for future building envelopes.
Scientists create biological material using fungus.
Researchers at Empa have developed a new biodegradable material using the mycelium of the split-gill mushroom. The material is made up of the fungus’s own extracellular matrix, which gives it unique properties such as tensile strength and versatility. The material is completely biodegradable, non-toxic, and edible, making it suitable for a range of applications. The researchers have demonstrated its potential use as a living emulsifier, stabilizing mixtures of liquids that would otherwise separate. They have also used it to create thin films with good tensile strength, which could be used as a bioplastic. The material’s biodegradability and ability to actively decompose organic waste make it a promising solution for reducing plastic pollution. Potential applications include compostable bags that can break down organic waste, biodegradable moisture sensors, and even a compact, biodegradable battery. The researchers believe that their living material could have a significant impact on the development of sustainable materials and technologies. With its unique properties and potential uses, this innovative material is an exciting example of the potential of fungi-based technologies.
Innovators unveil a sustainable vision for the built environment at the London Design Biennale
Academics from Northumbria University and University College London have collaborated on a prestigious pavilion exhibition at the 2025 London Design Biennale. The “Living Assembly: Building with Biology” pavilion explores the emerging field of biology and architecture, showcasing cutting-edge biological construction technologies. The team has created “living materials” made from microbes and fungi, which can be used to build sustainable and dynamic structures. These materials include mycelium, biological cements, and shape-changing materials that can absorb carbon dioxide and vent humid air. The exhibition aims to reimagine traditional building components and create a future where buildings are grown, not constructed. The pavilion has received a special mention at the Biennale’s Medal Ceremony and has been named a standout pavilion by architecture and design magazines. The collaboration between Northumbria University and UCL showcases a vision for a more sustainable future for construction and highlights the potential for living buildings to reduce waste and pollution. The exhibition is part of the London Design Biennale, which takes place at Somerset House from June 5 to June 29.
Research Assistant for the Living Manufacture Project at Northumbria University
Job Role:
We are seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to join the Living Manufacture project at Northumbria University. The successful candidate will lead Work Package 1 (Hardware Development) and be responsible for integrating mechanical, electronic, and software-controlled systems to enable precise manipulation of bacterial cellulose growth and microbial modification processes. The role involves developing programmable robotic actuators, ensuring sterile and controlled bioreactor conditions, and precision delivery systems for chemical and light-based patterning.
Project Background:
The Living Manufacture project is a 2-year project funded by a collaboration between universities, aiming to pioneer a new paradigm in biological fabrication. The project integrates microbial self-assembly, programmable genetic modifications, and robotic control to create Engineered Living Materials (ELMs).
Key Requirements:
- Expertise in robotic fabrication, bioreactor systems, or automated biofabrication
- Strong skills in hardware prototyping, automation, and system integration
- Familiarity with biotechnology or biofabrication systems is desirable
- Ability to work closely with an interdisciplinary team
About Northumbria University:
Northumbria University is a research-intensive university that unlocks potential for all. The university is committed to creating an inclusive culture and values diversity, equity, and excellence.
Embracing organic cotton, Soorty fosters a more sustainable way of living.
Soorty’s Agriculture Ventures and Traceability is revolutionizing farmer advisory services with modern digital tools. The company is also ensuring traceability throughout the supply chain through the use of digital bale passports. A dedicated seed laboratory is being established to further strengthen initiatives. The launch of the new ROC (Responsible Organic Cotton) project is a significant step forward in achieving sustainability goals. By empowering farmers, enhancing transparency, and shaping the future of responsible agriculture, Soorty is making a positive impact on the industry. Dr. Yousaf, head of Agriculture Ventures and Traceability, emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating that they are not just advancing sustainability, but also revolutionizing the way farms operate.
DARPA Plans to Cultivate Massive Space Habitats
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is exploring a new concept for growing large space structures and repairing damaged satellites by directly manufacturing components in space. This approach would skip traditional rocket launches and weigh constraints, allowing for the creation of massive structures over 1,640 feet long. DARPA is building on existing space manufacturing research, including robotic construction and self-assembling materials, and incorporating synthetic biology and materials science. The agency has received proposals from several teams, including the California Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to test their materials and manufacturing processes in space. DARPA is also seeking to develop hybrid living materials that can grow into predefined structures in space, using extremophiles and biomaterials to create structures that can withstand the harsh environment of space. The goal is to create objects that can be biologically manufactured and assembled, but may be infeasible to produce traditionally on Earth. A workshop is planned for April to debate the concept with experts, with the ultimate goal of creating large-scale space-based structures for missions to Mars and beyond.
Fabricating intricate biomimetic cellular structures from constituent biological components
This summary is within the 200-word limit.
The article discusses the concept of protocells, which are simplified models of living cells that can self-reproduce and interact with their environment. Protocells can be created using various materials, such as lipids, polymers, and nucleic acids, and can be designed to mimic various biological processes, such as cell signaling, cell adhesion, and cell division.
Researchers have designed various types of protocells, including membrane-bound protocells, membrane-free protocells, and compartmentalized protocells. These protocells can be used to study biological processes, develop new biomaterials, and create bioinspired technologies.
The applications of protocells include biomedicine, biotechnology, and materials science. For example, protocells can be used to develop new therapies for diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and to create new biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Additionally, protocells can be used to create new sensing and computing devices that mimic biological processes.
Overall, the study of protocells has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of biology and the development of new technologies.
Scientists Make Breakthrough in Programming Living Tissue Using Light, Revolutionizing 3D Bioprinting
Researchers at a hackerspace are developing a 3D printer that can create living tissue. The printer, still in its early stages, uses a technique called Xolography, which involves projecting light onto liquids to create solid biomaterials. A fluid inside the printer is transformed into a solid, allowing for the printing of physiologically relevant 3D environments for cell cultures. The technology has the potential to print entire organs, but is still in its experimental stages. PhD student Lena Stoecker, who is part of the Biomaterials Engineering and Biofabrication group, is working on the project and is inspired by the technology’s potential to bring ideas to life. The goal is to create 3D-printed organs that can be used for medical applications, but the team is still in the process of refining the technology.
A bio-based material with self-healing capabilities could transform the field of regenerative medicine, enabling the development of novel, adaptive therapies.
Researchers at Penn State have developed a new biomaterial called “living” hydrogels, known as LivGels, that can mimic certain behaviors of biological tissues and extracellular matrices (ECMs). These materials can be used in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and soft robotics, among other applications. The researchers addressed the limitations of previous hydrogels by creating a cell-free material that dynamically mimics the behavior of ECMs, which are crucial for tissue structure and cell functions. The LivGels are made of “hairy” nanoparticles composed of nanocrystals with disordered cellulose chains, which introduce anisotropy and allow dynamic bonding with biopolymer networks. This design enables the material to exhibit nonlinear strain-stiffening behavior, self-healing properties, and precise control of stiffness and strain-stiffening properties. The researchers believe that LivGels have the potential to be used as scaffolding for tissue repair and regeneration, for simulating tissue behavior in drug testing, and for creating realistic environments for studying disease progression. The next steps include optimizing LivGels for specific tissue types and exploring in vivo applications for regenerative medicine.
Empowering the Creation of Intelligent, Resilient Biomaterials through Synthetic Biology Innovations
Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in synthetic biology, genetically modifying proteins to create engineered living materials (ELMs) with specific properties. The team, led by Esther Jimenez, manipulated the protein sequences of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus to create fibers with varying strengths and dexterities. The resulting material is composed of approximately 93% water, making it suitable for tissue engineering applications. This study is significant as it focuses on designing materials with tailored mechanical properties from the ground up, rather than simply adding biological functions.
The potential applications of this research are vast, including biomedical uses such as drug delivery and 3D printing of living organisms, as well as environmental applications like renewable energy and cleanup. The team’s findings have implications for the development of ELMs, which could revolutionize various industries. According to Jimenez, “By making small tweaks to protein sequences, we’ve gained valuable insights into how to design materials with specific mechanical properties.” The future of synthetic biology in ELMs is promising, and this research is just the beginning of a new era in materials science.
Innovative, self-sustaining biological materials hold promise for revolutionizing regenerative medicine and healing.
Researchers at Penn State have developed a new biomaterial that mimics the behavior of biological tissues and extracellular matrices (ECMs), which could have significant implications for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and soft robotics. The material, called acellular nanocomposite living hydrogels (LivGels), can mimic the mechanical stress responses of ECMs, including nonlinear strain-stiffening and self-healing properties. This was achieved by designing “hairy” nanoparticles with disordered cellulose chains that can bond with a biopolymeric matrix, allowing for dynamic bonding and strain-stiffening behavior. The LivGels have been shown to recover their structure after high strain, making them a promising material for various applications. The research was published in Materials Horizons and featured on the journal’s cover. The development of this material could lead to advancements in fields such as regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and soft robotics.
Unlocking the potential of living materials: biomaterials revolutionize lighting design
Designers are creating innovative lighting solutions that interact with the environment by harnessing bioluminescence and integrating living materials. Some projects display the magic of bacteria, while others, like Élise Fouin and Danielle Trofe, co-design with living organisms like silkworms and mycelium. Mycelium, the root network of fungi, is a promising material for lighting technology due to its ability to grow and adapt to different shapes and structures. Isabel Brouwers’ LUMNES lamp collection features blown glass pieces that incorporate a unique design for each piece and an oxygen sensor that adjusts the light intensity based on surrounding oxygen levels. The double-layer structure allows oxygen to enter and activate internal luminescence, creating a dynamic viewing experience with adjustable brightness. These designs aim to reduce energy consumption during production and provide a more sustainable approach to lighting.
Wil Srubar’s lab is teeming with biological matter.
Wil Srubar, a professor of engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, is leading a research laboratory that aims to develop sustainable building materials inspired by nature. Srubar’s work focuses on “living materials” that can self-repair, reduce carbon emissions, and provide a more regenerative approach to construction. One of his notable projects is “living concrete,” which uses fungus to repair cracks and reduce the need for cement production. He has also developed carbon-negative cement and polymers that mimic natural anti-freeze proteins.
Srubar hopes to bring his research to the public through two start-ups and a funding company. He has already seen progress, with living concrete being used in real buildings and installations in Chicago and Seattle. However, he notes that the construction industry is constrained by scale and cost, making it challenging to transition his research into practical applications.
Srubar is also committed to mentoring and recruiting underrepresented groups, particularly LGBTQ+ students, and has won federal funding for this initiative. He hopes to continue providing opportunities for students and to pay it forward by inspiring others to do the same.
Providing life-saving therapeutics through novel biomaterial constructs.
The articles discuss the advancements in synthetic biology and its applications in medicine, materials science, and biotechnology. Synthetic biology enables the design and construction of new biological systems, such as genetically engineered cells, proteins, and biomaterials. These advances have led to the development of novel therapeutics, including gene therapies, immunotherapies, and biomaterials for tissue engineering. The articles also highlight the potential of synthetic biology in developing living therapeutics, such as bacteria that can deliver drugs or repair damaged tissues.
The articles also discuss the development of biomaterials that can interact with cells and tissues, such as hydrogels and bioadhesives. These materials can be used to deliver drugs, promote tissue repair, or enhance wound healing. The articles also touch on the topic of bioelectronic systems, which integrate living cells with electronic devices to monitor and control biological processes.
Overall, the articles demonstrate the exciting potential of synthetic biology in developing innovative solutions for various biomedical applications.
The Living Materials Transforming Your Future
Join The Explorers Club on January 13th to hear about the groundbreaking research being done by Fiorenzo Omenetto at Silklab …
This biobattery requires regular maintenance.
Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a new type of battery that uses fungi to generate electricity. The battery, powered by two types of fungi, is non-toxic and biodegradable, making it a sustainable alternative to conventional batteries. The researchers combined the metabolic processes of the two fungi to create a microbial fuel cell, which harnesses the energy released by the microorganisms. The fungal battery is manufactured using 3D printing, allowing the researchers to structure the electrodes to optimize the growth of the fungi. The battery is designed to be used in applications such as temperature sensors in agriculture or environmental research. While the battery’s electricity output is currently limited, the researchers are working to improve its performance and power output. The project represents a collaboration between microbiology, materials science, and electrical engineering, and highlights the potential of fungi as a source of sustainable energy.
Paving the Way for a New Era: Revolutionary Scientific Breakthroughs to Transform Our World in 2025
The article highlights several exciting research and innovation projects that are expected to make a significant impact in 2025. These projects include:
1. Cracking the brain’s genetics with AI’s help: The Human Brain Project has generated detailed maps of the human brain, which will help scientists and doctors navigate towards new treatments for patients with brain disease.
2. Solar energy gets a helping hand from space: Combining satellite data with AI is offering new opportunities for predicting energy output from solar farms and potentially leading to the collection of solar energy in space.
3. Self-repairing, living structural materials: Researchers are creating composite materials made with fungi that could be used in future household furnishings, aeroplane parts, and large construction projects, such as bridges.
4. Better future for bees, and nature, in Europe: An EU-backed project is researching honeybees and seeking to restore their harmony with nature, using technology to track activity and temperature from a distance and develop smarter algorithms to interpret data.
5. Greener, cleaner cities that benefit all: The CRAFT project is bringing together artistic and cultural groups to help kindle sustainable change on city streets, with a focus on local communities and urban market gardens.
These projects demonstrate the potential for research and innovation to make a positive impact on society, from improving healthcare and energy production to promoting sustainability and environmental protection.
The presence of formaldehyde can be detected in the fragrant aroma of living ceramics.
Researchers have developed “living ceramics” by infusing porous clay with bacteria, allowing them to sense and respond to their environment. By 3D printing ceramics with pores ranging from 20-130 micrometers and 20-80 nanometers, the team created a structure that can support cell growth and provide nutrients. They then used a vacuum to pull nutrient-rich liquid into the ceramic’s pores and inoculated the structures with different bacterial cultures. The bacteria multiplied and performed their functions for at least two weeks, with the photosynthetic cyanobacteria even pulling CO2 from the air to grow. The E. coli, engineered to detect formaldehyde, detected the chemical even at levels as low as 1 ppm. While the mechanical properties of the living porous ceramics may limit their applications, the technology demonstrates the potential for harnessing microbes for smart functionalities.