{"id":670,"date":"2026-04-11T23:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T22:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/cyanobacteria-enabled-building-material-captures-carbon-and-gains-strength-over-time\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T23:27:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T22:27:06","slug":"cyanobacteria-enabled-building-material-captures-carbon-and-gains-strength-over-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/cyanobacteria-enabled-building-material-captures-carbon-and-gains-strength-over-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyanobacteria-Enabled Building Material Captures Carbon and Gains Strength Over Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Z\u00fcrich) reveal a fascinating innovation: a hybrid material that integrates cyanobacteria to capture carbon dioxide while growing stronger over time\u2014a promising advance for sustainable architecture and climate action.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Cyanobacteria Turn CO\u2082 into Solid Minerals for Durable Storage<\/h2>\n<p>Dating back more than three billion years, cyanobacteria continue to fascinate scientists with their extraordinary longevity. Indeed, their biological efficiency remains exceptional and widely studied. Through natural photosynthesis, they transform carbon dioxide into oxygen and into organic matter useful for other biological processes.<\/p>\n<section class=\"incontent-related\"><span class=\"incontent-related__title\">Read also<\/span> <span class=\"incontent-related__desc\">The Finnish startup Polar Night Energy stores solar energy in sand heated to 600 \u00b0C without any rare metals<\/span><\/section>\n<p>However, their potential does not stop there and opens up surprising perspectives. In addition to this fundamental role, these microorganisms trigger a <strong>mineralization of carbon<\/strong>. Thus, CO\u2082 becomes part of a solid structure close to limestone, enabling durable and far more stable storage over time.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A 3D-Printed Hydrogel Optimizes Light, Water, and CO\u2082 to Support Cyanobacteria Activity<\/h2>\n<p>To exploit this capacity, the ETH Zurich researchers designed a support perfectly tailored to these organisms. Specifically, it is a <strong>porous 3D-printed hydrogel<\/strong>. It effectively enhances the circulation of light, water, and carbon dioxide\u2014essential elements for their activity.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, this material acts as a living matrix that is particularly well conceived. Through its internal structure, the cyanobacteria stay active longer and under better conditions. They continue to capture carbon, making the system autonomous, stable, and durable.<\/p>\n<section class=\"incontent-related\"><span class=\"incontent-related__title\">Read also<\/span> <span class=\"incontent-related__desc\">The recycling of plastic: what the data really show about its limits\u2014structural and economic<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Additionally, tests conducted over more than 400 days clearly confirm its robustness over time. Indeed, the device preserves its properties with no notable degradation. This duration demonstrates that the <strong>long-term biological performance<\/strong> is real and applicable in real-world conditions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High Carbon Sequestration Performance Through Continuous and Measurable Mineralization<\/h2>\n<p>The results clearly surpass those of traditional biological methods used so far. In practice, the material demonstrates a notably high <strong>carbon sequestration<\/strong> capacity when measured in mineralized form, capturing around 26 milligrams of CO\u2082 per gram\u2014a substantial yield.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, this efficiency rests on a particularly clever complementary mechanism. When biological growth slows naturally, mineralization takes over. Thus, <strong>uninterrupted carbon capture<\/strong> is maintained over time in a progressive fashion.<\/p>\n<section class=\"incontent-related\"><span class=\"incontent-related__title\">Read also<\/span> <span class=\"incontent-related__desc\">Photovoltaics, wind, nuclear: a global impact analysis places nuclear at the center of low-carbon strategies<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Finally, this mode of action offers a unique advantage in the field of innovative materials. By accumulating mineral deposits, the material becomes progressively stronger over time. It develops a <strong>mechanical resilience that evolves<\/strong> in step with its internal activity.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Towards Active Facades Capable of Capturing CO\u2082 and Strengthening Buildings Over Time<\/h2>\n<p>In the building sector, the prospects appear particularly promising and tangible. Researchers envision large-scale facade applications. This material could enable an <strong>active capture of atmospheric CO\u2082<\/strong>, turning surfaces into functional components of buildings.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, prototypes were showcased in Venice at a recent architecture exhibition. Inspired by natural forms, they attracted significant attention from professionals. Each module can absorb up to <strong>18 kilograms of CO\u2082 per year<\/strong>, the equivalent of a mature tree.<\/p>\n<section class=\"incontent-related\"><span class=\"incontent-related__title\">Read also<\/span> <span class=\"incontent-related__desc\">Photovoltaic panels could play an unexpected role in countering desertification in several regions of the world<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Over the longer term, this innovation could profoundly transform modern sustainable construction. Published in the journal <strong>Nature Communications<\/strong>, the study opens up concrete new perspectives. It highlights a high-performing bio-inspired architecture capable of acting directly on the climate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[890,892,893,889,894,891,895,120],"class_list":["post-670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-building","tag-captures","tag-carbon","tag-cyanobacteriaenabled","tag-gains","tag-material","tag-strength","tag-time","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions\/672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}