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.