Cement manufacturing and repair could be significantly improved by using biocement-producing bacteria, but growing the microbes at construction sites remains a challenge. Now, researchers report a freeze-drying approach in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that preserves the bacteria, potentially allowing construction workers to ultimately use powder out of a packet to quickly make tiles, repair oil wells or strengthen the ground for makeshift roads or camps.
  • LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    5·
    3 days ago

    In field tests, freeze-dried bacteria were applied to the surface of 3-foot by 3-foot (about 1-meter by 1-meter) plots, and urea and calcium chloride were sprayed on top.

    So a construction worker with kidney stones peed on it.
    Sounds about right.

      • PhilipTheBucketA
        5·
        3 days ago

        Oh, I wasn’t even thinking in that direction. I just meant bacteria that produce concrete as a byproduct of their normal life processes, getting loose into the environment and creating concrete everywhere. That other thing would be fun too, though.

        • Contramuffin@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 days ago

          These bacteria are soil bacteria, so they’re already in the environment. It seems like they produce biocement in small quantities and under specific conditions, so the real innovation here seems to be packaging them in a “just add water”-style container.

          As for the worst that could happen? I suppose misuse of the packaged bacteria might cause the bacteria to leech into the soil and throw off the balance of the soil microbes in the area, which may or may not lead to poor soil quality