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Martian Soil Mixed with Gelatin and Yeast May Help 3D-Printed Houses Break Ground on Mars
The team says the material needs less energy than rock-melting methods and could be recycled if the yeast can be regrown.
- On Thursday, researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology published a study detailing a novel 3D-printing material for Mars habitats, combining regolith, gelatin, and engineered yeast.
- Past proposals for Martian construction required melting rocks into bricks, consuming immense energy; this method instead utilizes Mars' subzero temperatures to 'freeze-dry' the material into solid, lightweight foam.
- Engineered with adhesive proteins similar to mussels, the yeast ensures structural integrity; tests confirmed the material achieves 10 to 12 megapascals compressive strength, comparable to low-grade concrete.
- Researchers emphasize the material's sustainability; structures can be dismantled and recycled when no longer needed. "As long as there's one yeast that's still alive," said senior author Jishen Qiu.
- Scientists must still determine if yeast can survive Martian radiation and atmospheric stress, while the process currently requires shipping raw materials from Earth before local production becomes viable.
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3D printing to colonise Mars after the Moon: the biomaterials tested by scientists
As the Artemis programme readies a Moon landing with an Italian habitat module, research tests 3D-printed homes on Mars using regolith and yeast. From Hong Kong labs to NASA, 3D tech could redefine life in space.
·Lyon, France
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The material is as resistant as low quality concrete.
·Madrid, Spain
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Writing Science, 10 Sep (EFE).- A team of Chinese scientists has devised a formula for printing 3D homes on Mars. When the mixture, combining Martian rocks and gelatin and land yeast, is dried and hardened it generates a living building material as resistant as concrete and that can be recycled and reused. [...] La entrada Develop a formula based on yeast and gelatin to print 3D homes on Mars was first published in HolaNews.
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