Cement manufacturing and repair could be significantly improved by using biocement-producing bacteria, but growing the microbes at construction sites remains a challenge. Now, researchers report a freeze-drying approach in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that preserves the bacteria, potentially allowing construction workers to ultimately use powder out of a packet to quickly make tiles, repair oil wells or strengthen the ground for makeshift roads or camps.
Oh, I wasn’t even thinking in that direction. I just meant bacteria that produce concrete as a byproduct of their normal life processes, getting loose into the environment and creating concrete everywhere. That other thing would be fun too, though.