A newly developed material, based on baker’s yeast, cellulose fibres from wood, alginate from algae, glycerol from plants, and water, could be used in 3D printed buildings of the future.

The entirely bio-based material could replace architectural elements that are currently made from non-renewable or fossil-based materials, such as plaster, plastic or synthetic textiles, including room partitions or wall systems.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, who developed the material also add that with minor adjustments to the formula, the material’s transparency, colour and surface texture can be altered.

In the long-term, the yeast material could also become an environmentally friendly alternative to plastics and other petroleum-based products, such as synthetic textiles. Unlike traditional building materials, which are designed to last as long as possible, bio-based materials offer new ways of thinking about sustainability and material cycles. The yeast-based material is biodegradable and can return to nature after use.

The construction sector accounts for a large proportion of global emissions and resource consumption, which means there is a great need for renewable, resource-efficient alternatives.

“The future of architectural ELMs, or Engineered Living Materials, is very exciting, with great potential to customise them to perform a variety of functions. This could, for example, involve self-healing materials or materials that purify the air by neutralising harmful substances and pollutants. What we have achieved so far is an important first step towards establishing a completely new type of architectural material. You could say that we are laying the foundations for future developments that combine sustainability, functionality and design in entirely new ways,” said Malgorzata Zboinska, professor at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers.

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