Hong Kong researchers develop yeast-and-gelatin building material for Mars
In short
Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a biological building material that could potentially be used to build structures on Mars, made from genetically modified yeast, a gelatin hydrogel and sand or other granular particles. In an experiment, they formed a small structure in a climate chamber at 0.01 atmospheres of pressure and -30 °C. The team says the process needs far less energy than sintering Martian regolith, though one cubic metre of material would still require several tens of kilograms of raw material brought from Earth.
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Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a biological building material that could potentially be used to construct structures on Mars, according to a report by the technology outlet iXBT. The material consists of genetically modified yeast, a gelatin hydrogel and sand or other granular particles, and can be shaped using 3D printing. The Russian state news agency TASS also reported that a material for construction on Mars had been developed, describing its basis as genetically modified yeast, gelatin and sand. [ 1 , 2 ]
iXBT said the work was carried out by a team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led by a professor identified in the report as Qiu Jishen. It attributed the details to TASS, which it said cited the South China Morning Post; the TASS text available for this dossier does not mention that newspaper. The stated aim of the project is to cut the amount of equipment, energy and construction material that would have to be delivered from Earth to build permanent Martian bases. [ 2 ]
According to iXBT, construction on Mars poses a serious engineering problem: the planet's atmosphere has less than 1% of Earth's density and surface temperatures can fall well below -50 °C. Conventional processing of building materials under such conditions would require heavy equipment and large amounts of energy, the report said. [ 2 ]
In their experiment, the researchers built a small structure in a climate chamber at a pressure of 0.01 atmospheres and a temperature of -30 °C, imitating part of the Martian environment. The team cites low energy consumption as a main advantage: by its calculations, solar panels would need less than an hour to generate the energy to produce one cubic metre of the material, while turning the same volume of Martian regolith into a monolithic block by sintering would take several days. [ 2 ]
Full independence from Earth supplies has not been achieved. iXBT reported that producing one cubic metre of the material would require several tens of kilograms of imported raw material, about 70–80% of which would be gelatin and the rest a nutrient medium for the yeast. In the future, the researchers hope to produce the necessary organic components directly on Mars, according to the report. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The project targets the main constraint on permanent Martian bases described in the reports: the equipment, energy and building materials that would otherwise have to be shipped from Earth. Its claimed advantage is low energy use, with solar panels needing less than an hour to generate the power for one cubic metre of material. The documents say the technology still depends on substantial Earth-supplied raw material, so a fully local supply chain remains a stated future aim rather than a current result.
Key facts
- Researchers in Hong Kong developed a biological building material potentially usable for construction on Mars. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The material consists of genetically modified yeast, a gelatin hydrogel and sand or other granular particles. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The work was carried out by a team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led by a professor identified in the report as Qiu Jishen, according to iXBT. [ 2 ]
- The team created a small structure in a climate chamber at 0.01 atmospheres of pressure and -30 °C, imitating part of the Martian environment. [ 2 ]
- The researchers calculated that solar panels would need less than an hour to produce the energy to make one cubic metre of the material, while sintering the same volume of Martian regolith into a solid block would take several days. [ 2 ]
- Producing one cubic metre of the material would require several tens of kilograms of imported raw material, about 70–80% of it gelatin and the rest a nutrient medium for the yeast. [ 2 ]
- The project aims to reduce the equipment, energy and construction materials that would have to be delivered from Earth for permanent Martian bases. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The identity and institutional affiliations of the research team, and the name of the lead professor. These details appear only in the iXBT report; the TASS item available consists of a headline and a one-line summary that names no people or institutions.
- Whether the material has been tested beyond the small structure built in the climate chamber, or how close it is to practical use. The documents describe only the chamber experiment and do not state a development stage or schedule.
- How much of the organic component, such as the gelatin and nutrient medium, could eventually be produced on Mars. iXBT states this as a future hope, and the passage of the report is incomplete; no other document addresses it.
- The original source of the research details. iXBT attributes its report to TASS, which it says cites the South China Morning Post, while the TASS text available for this dossier does not mention that newspaper.