Speaker
Description
Natural ecosystems, such as forests and aquatic systems, offer efficient pathways for carbon (CO2) sequestration, outperforming industrial carbon capture and storage methods in terms of resilience and environmental impact. These systems operate under ambient conditions, using sunlight and commonly available small molecules as their inputs. Harnessing the capabilities of natural systems offers a compelling alternative to conventional carbon capture approaches. However, confining and controlling natural living organisms or systems outside their native environments remains challenging. Drawing inspirations from nature, we address this challenge by embedding photosynthetic cyanobacteria within 3D-printed hydrogel matrices, to create engineered living materials for efficient carbon sequestration (Figure 1a).
We focused on using Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, a cyanobacteria strain capable of sequestering atmospheric CO2 both in the form of biomass accumulation and microbially induced carbonate precipitation. To enable tailored geometries, we encapsulated the cyanobacteria within a hydrogel formulation suitable for multiple additive manufacturing technologies, including direct ink writing and volumetric bioprinting. We used direct ink writing to fabricate structures with improved surface area to volume ratios for surface coatings. This design enhanced light exposure and nutrient exchange for the encapsulated cyanobacteria, and resulted in improved overall viability of the living material (Figure 1b). We also leveraged photo-cross-linking to enable light-based volumetric bioprinting. This approach demonstrated the material’s ability to form fine, high-resolution lattice structures. (Figure 1c). During an incubation period of 30 days, the living material sequestrated approximately 2.2 ± 0.9 mg of CO2 per gram of material, with atmospheric carbon as their main carbon source. Remarkably, the material remained viable for over one year with minimal nutrient input, achieving a cumulative sequestration of 26 ± 7 mg CO2 per gram of material in the stable carbonate mineral form (Figure 1d). This long-term performance is comparable to that of existing chemical-based carbon capture strategies. Together, the integration of tailored material design and advanced bioprinting methods demonstrates the potential of biofabricated, photosynthetic living materials for carbon-neutral infrastructure and green building materials.
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