Summary Reader Response

The article “Scientists create living concrete from bacteria and sand”(2020) by Corless introduces the usage of bacteria in concrete mixes to make concrete that is able to take in CO2. Cement production contributes 8% of the world's carbon emissions. With how much we use cement in our construction projects and developing nations also using more concrete to build their nation, the search for greener alternatives to cement is key to sustainability. One alternative that could change our construction is the use of bacteria in cement to create "living concrete".

The bacteria in the cement is a type of cyanobacteria that is able to perform photosynthesis. Corless(2020) explained "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."


Corless(2020) commented "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. " This would be good for waste management as rather than dispose of the materials during demolition, we could instead keep the broken bricks to grow them into bricks to be used in another construction project.


Living concrete has benefits such as being environmentally friendly and shortcomings such as having less strength than normal concrete. I believe that despite its shortcomings, the benefits of living concrete allow for it to be a viable alternative construction material if further developed.


Firstly, the bacteria allows the concrete to self replicate. The article 'Bacteria-filled bricks build themselves'(2020) by Bushwick stated "Powered by photosynthesis, these microorganisms absorb sunlight, nutrients, and carbon dioxide and spit out calcium carbonate—the rigid compound found in seashells and cement." They also suggested that this production method would be beneficial to areas that lack access to the resources to make normal concrete. This is a useful feature of living concrete as it would help developing countries that do not have access to the materials to make or purchase concrete to be able to build infrastructure that needs the strength of concrete.


Secondly, the production of living concrete is environmentally friendly. Bushwick(2020) mention that the production of living concrete is also environmentally friendly as unlike normal concrete, it takes in CO2 rather than produce it. Usage of living concrete in construction projects will help to lower the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, even after being used for construction, some of the bacteria in the concrete will be alive and be able to perform photosynthesis which can help to reduce the greenhouse gasses. If living concrete is used for some of the projects that normal cement is used for today, it can help to cut down cement production's greenhouse gas emissions.


However, to sustain the bacteria in the brick, there is a tradeoff of the cement’s strength. This is due to the bacteria needing a humid environment to function while the mixture is strongest when it is dry. Bushwick explained "Compared with a similar material that contained no cyanobacteria, the living version was 15 percent tougher in terms of resisting fractures. But it fell short of the resilience of standard bricks or cement, performing more like low-strength cement or hardened mortar." This makes it unsuitable for some projects that require the high strength of concrete such as high rise buildings. In the article 'Scientists create living concrete using bacteria' by The Economic Times stated "However, the researchers said cyanobacteria need humid conditions to survive -- something that's not possible in more arid regions of the world." This means in parts of the world like the middle east, living concrete is not viable as the environment is too dry to sustain the bacteria.


In future, it could be possible to mix more types of bacteria that could perform different functions into the mixture to give the living concrete more functions like absorbing toxins or glowing at night. This makes the future of living concrete bright as it does not have to compete with regular concrete in construction, but provide an alternative material that could be used for smaller projects.


Reference

Corless, V. (2020, January 20). Scientists create living concrete from bacteria and sand. Advanced Science News. https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/scientists-create-living-concrete-from-bacteria-and-sand/

Bushwick, S. (2020, January 15). Bacteria-filled bricks build themselves. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bacteria-filled-bricks-build-themselves/

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