meduCA is a modular platform that employs bacteria for on-site construction of living building materials in inhospitable environments. We leverage microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) through the activity of carbonic anhydrases to convert greenhouse gases into carbon-negative bricks via biocementation. Byharnessing bacterial surface-display mechanisms, our engineered cellsenable stable expression of enzymes for bioremediation and construction, on Earth and beyond! Learn more about our project here
An unmet infrastructure demand
As scientists and engineers continue to push the frontiers of space exploration, research technologies necessary for planetary missions are being developed at an exponential rate.
At the end of 2024, a total of 11,539 satellites were operating in Earth’s orbit, compared with just 3,371 in 2020, reflecting explosive growth in space activity and demand for orbital and surface infrastructure[1].
These resources need to be protected from the harsh extraterrestrial conditions in outer space, highlighting the need for durable shelters to house research equipment and explorers alike.
How can we build infrastructure in space?
Bringing traditional construction materials from Earth, such as cement, presents both economical and logistical roadblocks. NASA and mission designers emphasize In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) to reduce the mass and cost of space surface operations.
This ISRU entails using local materials for construction as opposed to transporting materials into the galaxy to lower the payloads from Earth[2]. Additionally, cement production on Earth requires high temperatures and carbon-intensive chemical reactions, accounting for a whopping 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Over time, this unsustainable industry has led to environmental damage here on Earth which should not be repeated on other planets.
Mine tailings, which are the waste material leftover from extracting valuable minerals, are another source of environmental damage. They leach harmful chemicals into our soil and, when dried, emit airborne dust particles. This calls for more effective and sustainable waste management.
At UBC iGEM, we asked ourselves: can we innovate a synthetic biology based solution to the cement problem which can help repair damages done to Earth and establish a sustainable, responsible cement pipeline for our planet and beyond?
This led us to meduCA, our living construction tool designed to meet these challenges head-on.
meduCA: Microbes Enabling Decarbonized-Urbanization via Carbonic Anhydrase
Our project harnesses the power of microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) through surface-displayed carbonic anhydrase (CA) to enable biocementation, a process which sequesters CO₂ and locks it into native soil to form sustainable building materials through a living host. meduCA has the potential to reduce atmospheric CO₂ and transform this greenhouse gas into a solid material which can be used for construction in a carbon-negative manner.
Given the current interest in Mars exploration, our team aims to develop living building materials (LBMs) in the form of bricks that can be used for in-situ development of construction materials on the red planet.
These LBMs are developed by biocementing bacteria, engineered to perform MICP enzymatically in a mine tailing or Martian regolith solution. Learn more about this at Biocementing Bacteria
The enzyme at play is Carbonic Anhydrase, an all star at capturing atmospheric CO₂, trapping it as the bicarbonate ion, HCO₃⁻, and precipitating it as CaCO₃ in the presence of Ca²⁺ ions.
To enhance this reaction, we display the enzyme on the surface of the bacteria, providing direct access to CO₂ and improved protein stability.
We determined the best CA candidates through phylogenetic analysis, learn more about this at Bioinformatics
Phylogenetic tree of EggNOG COG3338 (alpha-carbonic anhydrase) sequences generated with TreeSAPP
To bring our sustainable and scalable platform to the market, we developed an entrepreneurship plan. Learn more about this at Needs Finding
To enhance bacterial growth beyond a basic lab culture, our team built custom bioreactors to culture the biocemeting bacteria with in-house firmware, learn more about this at Bioreactor Overview
Our bricks can be formed by our in-house bioprinting of an alginate and Martian Simulant-based biomaterial housing our engineered bacteria, ready for construction of living building materials on Mars. Learn more about this at Bioprinter Overview
And recognizing the expanding field of space architecture, we designed a tool aimed at reducing risk and the pain related to musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries, and to foster a more inclusive lab environment. Learn more about this at Inclusivity
Through meduCA, our team hopes to educate the public on space exploration and breakdown barriers in research to offer inclusive, sustainable, and modular biocementation: for a better planet and beyond.
To give a bird’s eye view of our project, the following mind map guides readers through meduCA’s deliverables in which our navigation bar and wiki are organized. Feel free to look through each page and navigate to the Results page to follow along with our goals and how we set out to achieve them.
