Scientists at Texas A&M University have made a significant breakthrough in Martian construction, developing a new method to build structures without the need for human intervention. The team, led by Dr. Congrui Grace Jin, has created a synthetic lichen system that can form building materials using the planet’s regolith, dust, sand, and rocks.
The technology uses a combination of heterotrophic filamentous fungi and photoautotrophic diazotrophic cyanobacteria to produce biominerals and create a consolidated body. The fungi bind metal ions onto their cell walls, serving as nucleation sites for biomineral production, while the cyanobacteria fix carbon dioxide and dinitrogen from the atmosphere, converting them into oxygen and organic nutrients.
This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize extraterrestrial construction by enabling structures to be built in demanding environments with restricted resources. The team’s self-growing technology eliminates the need for external nutrient supplies, making it a significant step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars.
The next step of the project is to create regolith ink to print bio-structures using 3D printing techniques. Dr. Jin and her team are optimistic about the potential of this technology to support long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mars.html