Synthetic lichen could help with Martian habitation

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July 9, 2025
2 min read

Synthetic lichen could help with Martian habitation

Researchers from the US have developed a synthetic lichen system that can form building materials with no outside intervention. This could be helpful in building structures millions of miles away from the earth, reducing the need for large payloads. Instead, the goal is to be able to make use of resources already present on the Red Planet.

Texas A&M University’s Dr. Congrui Grace Jin and her colleagues from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have worked on bio-manufacturing engineered living materials, having developed a synthetic lichen system that can form building materials without outside intervention.

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Their latest study, funded by NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, published in the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, applies the research to autonomous construction of structures on Mars. It would use materials on the planet, including dust, sand, and rocks.

This has the potential to revolutionise construction outside of the Earth, allowing for structures to be built in some of the most demanding environments with limited resources.

“We can build a synthetic community by mimicking natural lichens,” explains Jin. “We’ve developed a way to build synthetic lichens to create biomaterials that glue Martian regolith particles into structures. Then, through 3D printing, a wide range of structures can be fabricated, such as buildings, houses and furniture.”

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