Researchers at Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are advancing a synthetic lichen system designed to enable autonomous construction on Mars. Led by Dr. Congrui Grace Jin, the project utilizes the Red Planet’s native soil, known as regolith, to create building materials without the need for human intervention. Funded by NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program, this research tackles the challenge of constructing habitats millions of miles from Earth, where transporting construction supplies is costly and logistically difficult.
Dr. Jin highlights the significance of this new approach. “The potential of this self-growing technology in enabling long-term extraterrestrial exploration and colonization is significant.”
Dr. Jin serves as an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Technology program at Texas A&M University. Collaborators from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln include Dr. Richard Wilson, Nisha Rokaya, and Erin Carr. The research receives support from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the university’s official research agency.
A Novel Approach to Space Construction
The team’s work, published in the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, presents a synthetic lichen system composed of engineered living materials capable of transforming Martian regolith—comprising dust, sand, and rocks—into functional building components without external assistance.
“We can build a synthetic community by mimicking natural lichens. We’ve developed a way to build synthetic lichens to create biomaterials that glue Martian regolith particles into structures. Then, through 3D printing, a wide range of structures can be fabricated, such as buildings, houses, and furniture,” said Dr. Jin.
Limitations of Previous Methods and Innovation of Synthetic Communities
Earlier research explored bonding Martian soil with various chemical binders such as magnesium-based, sulfur-based, and geopolymers. These methods generally require human input, limiting their practicality on Mars given the constraints on manpower. Other efforts involved microbe-mediated self-growing technologies, including bacterial biomineralization and fungal mycelium as natural binders. Although promising, these approaches often rely on a single microbial species that demands continuous nutrient supplies, posing challenges for fully autonomous operation.
To overcome these challenges, Jin’s team engineered a fully autonomous synthetic microbial community combining multiple species. This system removes the need for external nutrient supplementation by pairing heterotrophic filamentous fungi, which produce biominerals and endure harsh environments, with photoautotrophic diazotrophic cyanobacteria, which fix carbon dioxide and dinitrogen to generate nutrients and oxygen.
Within this symbiotic system, cyanobacteria convert atmospheric gases into organic compounds supporting fungal growth, while fungi bind metal ions to their cell walls and facilitate biomineral formation. The fungi also enhance cyanobacterial growth by supplying water, minerals, and carbon dioxide. Both microorganisms secrete biopolymers that improve adhesion and cohesion among Martian regolith particles, creating a consolidated material suitable for construction.
The project has already moved into its next phase: developing regolith-based ink for printing biological structures using direct ink writing 3D printing technology. This advancement aims to further the feasibility of sustainable, autonomous construction for future Mars missions and other extraterrestrial environments.
Advances in Space Habitat Construction
Previously, NASA collaborated with the University of Central Florida (UCF) in order to find a way of 3D printing structures on Mars. The researchers concluded that Martian soil could be processed into a chamber which would be heated to approximately 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1648°C) to produce oxygen and molten metal.
Research company Fotec, part of the University of Applied Sciences in Austria, has also made steps towards 3D printed structures in space with a 3D printed miniature igloo and corner of a wall in a composite material containing “Mars dust”. The objects were created as part of the Technology Research Program at the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASA’s efforts to establish human habitats extend beyond Mars. In partnership with Texas-based construction technology firm ICON, NASA also aims to fabricate lunar habitats by 2040 using concrete made from locally sourced regolith—rock chips, mineral fragments, and dust found on the lunar surface. This initiative, known as Project Olympus, has received significant NASA funding—including $30 million in 2020 and $57.2 million in 2022—to develop 3D printing systems capable of constructing durable, permanent lunar buildings.
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Featured image shows A synthetic habitat. Image via Texas A&M University College of Engineering.
