Thinking Soils

Project Summary 

The EPSRC funded Thinking Soils project envisions a new era of materials using Synthetic Biology to create living materials that respond to mechanical forces. By engineering bacteria within a hydrogel, the material can sense loading and trigger the formation of strengthening mineral crystals—much like how bones adapt under stress. This biomimetic yet entirely novel system has no natural analogue and represents a radical departure from traditional engineering approaches. The project will demonstrate this concept through a living, self-reinforcing material and explore its potential in civil engineering applications, including self-constructing foundations and structures in environments where conventional building methods are impractical.

Principle Investigators: 

Martyn Dade-Robertson (Northumbria University)

Meng Zhang (Northumbria University)

Co-Investigators:

Anil WIpat (Newcastle University)

Helen Mitrani (Newcastle University)

Funder: 

EPSRC Grant no. EP/R003629/1