In a recent study published in Materials Today Bio, an international team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) analyzed how microbes could help future Moon and Mars astronauts in the construction of settlements on those respective celestial bodies. This study holds the potential to use microorganisms in civil engineering projects in extreme environments, such as 3D printing or additive manufacturing. … "Through a biological process that has evolved over millions of years, these tiny miners excavate rocks, extracting the minerals that are essential to the physiological functions, such as photosynthesis, that enable their survival," said Dr. David Kisailus, a UCI professor of materials science and engineering, and a co-author on the study. Read More