Green Cells for Green Building

In Our Most Recent Work, Published in Matter, We Used Photosynthetic Cyanobacteria to Help Us Grow a Structural Building Material – and We Kept It Alive. Similar to Algae, Cyanobacteria Are Green Microorganisms Found Throughout the Environment but Best Known for Growing on the Walls in Your Fish Tank. Instead of Emitting Co2, Cyanobacteria Use Co2 and Sunlight to Grow And, in the Right Conditions, Create a Biocement, Which We Used to Help Us Bind Sand Particles Together to Make a Living Brick.

Teams of Researchers from Around the World Are Demonstrating the Power and Potential of Engineered Living Materials at Many Scales, Including Electrically Conductive Biofilms, Single-Cell Living Catalysts for Polymerization Reactions and Living Photovoltaics. Researchers Have Made Living Masks That Sense and Communicate Exposure to Toxic Chemicals. Researchers Are Also Trying to Grow and Assemble Bulk Materials from a Genetically Programmed Single Cell.

New Research Is Finding Ways to Turn Living Cells into Mini-Factories for Materials

By Marcus Vance

• Oct 8, 2026 • 5 min read

New Research Is Finding Ways to Turn Living Cells into Mini-Factories for Materials

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Buildings Are Not Unlike a Human Body. They Have Bones and Skin; They Breathe. Electrified, They Consume Energy, Regulate Temperature and Generate Waste. Buildings Are Organisms – Albeit Inanimate Ones.

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.

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