Idea behind: A new living substance can transform from wet sand mixture into soild bricks & even help to reproduce copies of itself

Now, let us have basic knowledge about PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA

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Photosynthetic bacteria are unique species of microorganisms which contian compound called bacteriochlorophyll,which allows them to photosynthesize . Photosynthetic bacteria are anoxygenic phototrops(are gammaproteobacteria & alphaproteobacteria that capture energy from light and stored as ATP) distributed widely in nature in the fields,lakes,ponds,rivers &oceans. These bacteria have capability to utilize sulfate, thiosulphate & hydrogen donors as well as various organic compounds.These are also able to fix carbon dioxide & molecular nitrogen under anaerobic conditions .These have also developed an extraordinary metabolic versatility.

Background : Researchers from university of Colorado, boulder, used a type of photosynthetic bacteria that absorbs carbon dioxide, sunlight , nutrients & produces calcium carbonate -rigid compound found in rocks , pearls & seashells .

Let’s have view on the formation of calcium carbonate minerals by photosynthetic bacteria

Biomineralization is naturally occuring process in living organisms. In this review, we will discuss microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation. This biomineralization is chemical alteration of environment by microbial activity that results in precipitation of minerals. In nature, this widespread phenomenon leads to formation of more than 60 biological minerals that exists as extra-cellularly inorganic crystals or extracellular mineralization syntheses (eg carbbonate precipitation) which is a rigid compound found in rocks, pearls & seashells

How Living Solidbricks Created ?

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Researchers grew these bacteria in a warm mixture of salt water & combined it with sand & gelatin. The mixture was poured into mould & as it cooled the gelatin set forming ‘Scaffold’ able to support further bacterial growth. The bacteria deposited as calcium carbonate throughout the scaffold, turning soft sludge into harder substance after about a day. The mixture looks green initially but color fades as it dries.

Benefits Of Ecofriendly Living Solidbricks

• Material is potentially strong enough for use as bricks in construction.
• Major benefit is that the whole process revolves around bacteria, they help build bricks & are kept alive so they are able to produce more bricks later on.
• Material could be useful for construction in inhospitable environments like desert or even in space
• It is also a low-carbon alternative to concrete that could be used to make buildings that absorbs greenhouse gases rather than releasing them, for the same reason living bricks are more ecofriendly

Ref: Research at MIT