Scientists create 'living concrete'. Researchers have created concrete that is alive and can reproduce itself. "Minerals in the new material are deposited not by chemistry but by cyanobacteria that capture energy through photosynthesis." Researchers have worked on incorporating biology into concrete that can heal its own cracks. Blocks of this material showed potential for doing real construction. “Stored in relatively dry air at room temperature, the blocks reach their maximum strength over the course of days, and the bacteria gradually begin to die out. But even after a few weeks, the blocks are still alive; when again exposed to high temperature and humidity, many of the bacterial cells perk back up.” Incredible though it may seem, each block could thus spawn three new generations. All that’s necessary is to cut it, place it in a warm beaker with raw materials, pour it in a mold, and begin concrete formation again. "The blocks also have the advantage of being made from a variety of common materials. Most concrete requires virgin sand that comes from rivers, lakes and oceans, a resource which is running short worldwide largely because of the enormous demand for concrete." This technology shows many advantages. Regular concrete spews greenhouse gas while living concrete absorbs carbon dioxide by the photosynthetic process. The new living material could even use waste materials. What is more, living building materials make it easier to construct in remote or austere environments such as deserts and even other planets. Quoted text from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/science/construction-concrete-bacteria-photosynthesis.html