Living Materials Laboratory:
Projects
Research Projects
Our current research projects address questions at the nexus of materials science, architecture, and chemical, biological, environmental, and structural engineering.
Due to the breadth and depth of our materials research endeavors, we actively collaborate with colleagues both within and outside of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering in the areas of polymer synthesis, computational mechanics, materials science, sustainability, bioengineering, and architecture. We are always looking to strengthen our research through the multidisciplinary perspectives of our colleagues.
A Photosynthetic Route to Carbon-Negative Portland Limestone Cement Production
Current Challenge Most cement-related CO2 emissions are caused by heating CaCO3 to produce CaO, which releases CO2 in the process. The technical premise of the proposed technology is to produce biogenic CaCO3 using coccolithophores, which are calcareous microalgae that sequester and store CO2 in mineral and organic polymer form through biological direct air capture via photosynthesis and calcification.
Research Goal The overarching goal of this project is to manufacture and commercialize a net-CO2-storing portland limestone cement using biogenic limestone produced from calcifying microalgae. The harvested biogenic CaCO3 will be used to produce portland cement clinker. Biogenic CaCO3 will then be blended with the biogenic portland cement to produce net-CO2-storing portland limestone cements. The economics of CO2-storing portland limestone cement will be optimized by maximizing biomass productivity of coccolithophore cultures through a combination of artificial strain selection, genetic engineering, and growth optimization and through the valorization of non-CaCO3 algal biomass into high-value co-products.
Sponsor Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)
Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concreted Edifices (BRACE)
Current Challenge The DARPA Bio-inspired Restoration of Aged Concrete Edifices (BRACE) program aims to prolong the serviceability of Department of Defense structures and airfield pavements by integrating a self-repair capability into existing concrete.
Research Goal Recent years have seen an emergence of so-called living materials, or materials that have the properties of living things. The central hypothesis of BRACE is that concrete can be infused with self-repair capabilities typically found in living organisms, drawing inspiration from vascular systems found in humans and vast networks of filamentous fungi that can span acres of land similar in scale to concrete buildings. Such systems could provide a network of transportation for healing within the depths of the material to repair cracks before they reach the surface and before they cause failure.
Sponsor Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Benchmarking Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment
Current Challenge The results of this work will inform AEGB ratings and policy to advance the sustainable building and construction materials markets and design techniques to meet the City of Austin Sustainability Goals and Initiatives around equity, climate change, environmental quality, the local green economy, and capacity building within the green jobs market without negatively impacting building safety and durability.
Research Goal The purpose of this research is to analyze typical commercial and residential building types and local building materials markets to determine a local baseline for embodied carbon (kgCO2e/m2) based on standard local construction materials and techniques — and, ultimately, to develop a universal, simplified methodology for biogenic carbon accounting. This includes identifying areas of variation between local and global baselines to characterize opportunities for embodied carbon reduction, and identifying sound material and design approaches that result in lower embodied carbon quantities and fewer negative impacts on local air and water quality.
Sponsor City of Austin & Austin Energy
Living Light, Living Surfaces, and Living Structures for Space Architecture
Current Challenge Building structures on Earth and beyond should not preclude the use of embedded living entities capable of providing a service to the building or its inhabitants.
Research Goal The primary objectives of this project are to engineer living materials that are capable of (1) producing living light by leveraging the natural process of bioluminescence, (2) removing H2O, CO2, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air, and (3) biomineralizing lunar and Martian regolith in microgravity for new applications in space architecture.
Sponsor Schmidt Sciences
Biological Production of Carbonates for Sustainable Cementitious Materials
Current Challenge Concrete is the second-most consumed material on earth after water. Its production, use, and disposal therefore have global environmental consequences. The production of cement alone accounts for 2.2 billion tons (or 6%) of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Research Goal In this project, our objectives are (1) to use genetic engineering to exploit biological mechanisms of microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation to produce carbon-storing nano- and microscale minerals and (2) to study their effect on properties of cement paste and concrete. The research will be complemented by education and mentoring activities designed to educate the public on the benefits of low-carbon construction, while cultivating a new, inclusive, and diverse generation of interdisciplinary materials scientists and civil engineers.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Process-Structure-Property Relationships of 3D Printed Earth Materials and Structures
Current Challenge Traditional cementitious materials processes are inextricably intertwined with transportation, chemical treatments, excess manufacturing, warehouse storage, and intermediary storages.
Research Goal Earthen materials are an emerging, sustainable alternative to cementitious materials because of their low embodied carbon, affordability, safety, and thermal characteristics. By using minimally processed materials and sourcing raw materials from construction sites, 3D-printed earth structures could substantially reduce the various costs of current cementitious materials. Using a range of bacterial and biopolymer binding agents, as well as bio-based fibers and nano-fibers reinforcing additives, this project will characterize printable mixtures of earth- and bio-based building materials and modernized versions of ancient technologies as a critical step for climate-friendly digital manufacturing of the built environment.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Future Manufacturing (FMRG)
Embodied Energy and Embodied Carbon Analysis of Residential & Commercial Building Envelopes
Current Challenge Building envelopes can meaningfully contribute to the carbon footprint of a building. Evaluating the embodied energy and embodied carbon emissions for common building wall assemblies can guide efforts to reduce building carbon emissions.
Research Goal This project aims to define theoretical embodied energy and embodied carbon benchmarks for prototypical residential and commercial building wall assemblies using the Department of Energy (DOE) prototype buildings. The results will reveal which wall assemblies have low carbon footprints and will highlight what construction materials are the highest contributors to the embodied energy and embodied carbon emissions. An interactive tool will be developed to communicate the results with building practitioners and sustainability consultants to inform low-energy and low-carbon design decisions in buildings.
Sponsor CU Building Energy Smart Technologies Center
Previous Research Projects
Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative (EEI) Program
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to accelerate commercialization of the engineered living material (ELM) technology previously engineered by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. The project supports achievement tech-to-market milestones by providing funds to hire an embedded entrepreneur to accelerate commercialization.
Sponsor Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Algae-grown Engineered Living Building Materials
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to engineer a high-performance living building material using algae species that undergo microbial biomineralization by incorporating coarse aggregate and steel-embedded reinforcement or fibers to improve mechanical performance.
Sponsor Prometheus Materials, Inc.
Novel Agar-Based Binder Materials for Use in Flexible Pavement Applications
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to contribute to the advancement of direct alternative materials for petroleum-based for petroleum-based asphalt binders. Highly concentrated mixtures of agar hydrogels (i.e., 10% agar) possess similar viscoelastic and temperature-dependence properties when compared to conventional petroleum-based binders (e.g., bitumen, tar) which may make agar well-suited as an alternative binder for pavement applications.
Sponsor Colorado Department of Transportation
APUP: Phase-Change Thermal Energy Storage
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to engineer high-performance wood-templated phase-change material for use in building envelopes. Phase-change materials will be encapsulated by wood templates and tested for their thermal energy storage and assessed for their use in building energy efficiency applications.
Sponsor Wright Brothers Institute
Lab Venture Challenge: Minus Materials
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to produce and commercialize a net-CO2-storing portland limestone cement (Type IL) using calcareous photosynthetic microalgae. Most cement-related emissions are caused by calcining quarried limestone, CaCO3, to CaO, thereby releasing CO2 in the process. The technical premise of this proposed technology is to produce biogenic CaCO3 on the human timescale using coccolithophores, photosynthetic calcareous microalgae.
Sponsor Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator
Project A-RAM: Autonomous Runway & Airfield Augmentation
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to engineer a photosynthetic, autotrophic biocementation process using unicellular cyanobacteria capable of microbial biocementation. The process-structure-properties of soil cemented via autotrophic biomineralization will be investigated using a combination of adaptive microbial evolution and materials characterization.
Sponsor Wright Brothers Institute
Biological Production of Carbonates for Sustainable Cementitious Materials
Research Objective The primary objectives of this project are (1) to use genetic engineering to exploit biological mechanisms of microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation to produce carbon-storing nano- and microscale minerals and (2) to study their effect on properties of cement paste and concrete. The research will be complemented by education and mentoring activities designed to educate the public on the benefits of low-carbon construction, while cultivating a new, inclusive, and diverse generation of interdisciplinary materials scientists and civil engineers.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Geopolymer Cements: Resistance‐Engineered Sewer Infrastructure for Longevity using Innovative, Energy‐efficient, Synthesis Techniques (RESILIENT)
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to engineer an ultra-acid-resistant low-calcium alkali-activated (i.e., geopolymer) cement paste specifically for wastewater (i.e., sewer) infrastructure applications to address the critical need for concrete materials with enhanced biogenic sulfuric acid resistance compared to ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete.
Sponsor Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)
Creating Cement from Sunlight: Exploiting Biosynthetic Pathways in Photosynthetic Microalgae to Produce Cementitious Materials
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to catalyze a new, vibrant cross-campus collaboration to generate proof-of-concept data that substantiates the feasibility of using photosynthetic, unicellular microalgae (i.e., diatoms, coccolithophores) to create cement-like particles.
Sponsor University of Colorado Boulder, Research and Innovation Office Innovative Seed Grant Program
Multifunctional Living Membranes for Indoor Environments
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to obtain experimental data on the moisture-buffering capacities of synthetic lichen membranes and to build a computational framework to quantify the potential building energy savings of synthetic lichen with hyperactive moisture buffering capacities.
Sponsor Multifunctional Materials Interdisciplinary Research Theme (IRT) Seed Grant Program University of Colorado Boulder
Rebuilding Better Infrastructure for Resilient Communities
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to increase the number of graduate students and, eventually, researchers and teachers, who have the multidisciplinary skills to address the country’s deteriorating infrastructure and the need for upgraded and new transport, water/sanitation, building, and power infrastructure.
Sponsor Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN)
Living Building Materials for Regenerative Architecture
Research Objective The primary objectives of this project is to acquire and analyze 3D images of lichen on natural substrates that will inform artificial substrate design out of conventional and novel material scaffolds, to acquire initial moisture buffering data of lichen, and to quantify potential energy savings of lichen applications in buildings.
Sponsor Multifunctional Materials Interdisciplinary Research Theme (IRT) Seed Grant Program University of Colorado Boulder
Biomimetic Antifreeze Polymers: A Novel, Biodegradable Deicing Salt Alternative
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to design and synthesize biomimetic antifreeze polymers (BAPs) that explicitly mimic the activity, function, and structure of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) naturally found in plants, insects, and bacteria and assess their viability as a replacement to traditional surface-applied deicing salts in civil infrastructure applications.
Sponsor National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
Experimental Study of Biomimetic Antifreeze Polymers for Enhanced Durability of Cementitious Binders
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to design and synthesize biomimetic antifreeze polymers (BAPs) that explicitly mimic the activity, function, and structure of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) naturally found in plants, insects, and bacteria and assess their suitability as an admixture biotechnology for cement and concrete.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Major Research Instrumentation: Acquisition of a 4D High-Resolution X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography System for the Rocky Mountain Region
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to acquire a high-resolution X-ray microtomography (XRM) imaging system for the Rocky Mountain Region that will advance a broad spectrum of fundamental research, potentially leading to novel materials that enhance infrastructure resilience, medicine, and energy production.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Programmable Resurrection of Materials Engineered to Heal Exponentially Using Switches (PROMETHEUS)
Research Objective The primary objective of this work is to engineer a hybrid living material composed of an inert structural scaffold (i.e., sand) that supports the rapid growth and long-term viability of living cells (i.e., microorganisms) that endow the final material with both biological (i.e., self-repair) and structural (i.e., load-bearing) function.
Sponsor Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
A State-of-the-Art Thermal Conductivity Analyzer: A Vital Addition to the Larson Building Systems Laboratory
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to acquire state-of-the-art thermal conductivity analyzer (TCA) instrument to initiate new (and strengthen existing) collaborations between materials science and energy performance modeling and simulation by (1) studying thermal behavior of novel material systems and components, (2) investigating dynamic changes to thermal properties of materials and components through aging, and (3) utilizing thermal property data to advance building energy simulation.
Sponsor Engineering Excellence Fund
Design of Sustainable and Resilient Concrete Mixtures
Research Objective The primary objective of this work is to create, validate, and test a new paradigm for the design of concrete mixtures using many-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs). The mathematical tools will aid in the design of concrete materials that are most economical, resilient, and environmentally sustainable for specific applications.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF) CMMI Design of Engineered Materials Systems Program
Nanostructural Stability of Alkali-Activated (N,K-ASH) Geopolymer Cements
Research Objective The primary objective of this research is to investigate the time-dependent stability of (N,K)-ASH geopolymer gel nanostructures in the presence of both physical and chemical environmental stressors. Fundamental knowledge on the nanostructural stability of (N,K)-ASH gels is necessary to produce sustainable, durable geopolymer-based alternatives to conventional portland cement.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF) CBET Environmental Sustainability Program
Engineering Community Resilience
Research Objective The primary objective of this project is to provide educational assistance and training to a cohort of civil engineering graduate students in the area of community resilience. The project aims to increase the number of students who have multidisciplinary skills to address the country’s need for designing, constructing, and maintaining communities of increased resilience with enhanced livability and desirability for all.
Sponsor Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN)
Characterization and Valorization of Recycled Polycarbonate, Phase II
Research Objective The primary objective of this work is to assess the feasibility of valorizing recycled polycarbonate by (a) analyzing the processability of 3D printable filaments, films, foams, and insulation materials from polycarbonate waste streams and (b) exploring the derivatization of recycled polycarbonates and investigating the resulting hybrid materials’ properties.
Sponsor ReVision Solutions, LLC
Characterization and Valorization of Recycled Polycarbonate, Phase I
Research Objective The primary objective of this work is to assess the feasibility of valorizing recycled polycarbonate by (a) characterizing the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of waste stream samples and (b) investigating methods to remove contaminants that may prohibit the utilization of certain polycarbonate waste streams.
Sponsor ReVision Solutions, LLC
Mechanics-based Service-Life Prediction of Natural-Fiber Composites
Research Objective The primary objective of this research is to use micromechanics to predict moisture- and frost-induced damage in both short- and continuous-fiber natural-fiber composites exposed to fluctuating hygrothermal conditions.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF) CMMI Mechanics of Materials Program
Sustainable Synthesis of Gelatin Foams
Sponsor University of Colorado Boulder, Research and Innovation Office Innovative Seed Grant Program