Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation by Sporosarcina pasteurii: a Case Study in Optimizing Biological CaCO3 Precipitation

Current production of traditional concrete requires enormous energy investment that accounts for approximately 5 to 8% of the world's annual CO2 production. Biocement is a building material that is already in industrial use and has the potential to rival traditional concrete as a more convenien...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and environmental microbiology 2023-08, Vol.89 (8), p.1-e0179422
Main Authors: Carter, Michael S, Tuttle, Matthew J, Mancini, Joshua A, Martineau, Rhett, Hung, Chia-Suei, Gupta, Maneesh K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology
Calcium carbonate
Calcium ions
Carbon dioxide
Cellular structure
Chemical precipitation
Concrete
Industrial applications
Materials science
Microbiology
Minireview
Sporosarcina pasteurii
Superstructures
Urea
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Summary:Current production of traditional concrete requires enormous energy investment that accounts for approximately 5 to 8% of the world's annual CO2 production. Biocement is a building material that is already in industrial use and has the potential to rival traditional concrete as a more convenient and more environmentally friendly alternative. Biocement relies on biological structures (enzymes, cells, and/or cellular superstructures) to mineralize and bind particles in aggregate materials (e.g., sand and soil particles). Sporosarcina pasteurii is a workhorse organism for biocementation, but most research to date has focused on S. pasteurii as a building material rather than a biological system. In this review, we synthesize available materials science, microbiology, biochemistry, and cell biology evidence regarding biological CaCO3 precipitation and the role of microbes in microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) with a focus on S. pasteurii. Based on the available information, we provide a model that describes the molecular and cellular processes involved in converting feedstock material (urea and Ca2+) into cement. The model provides a foundational framework that we use to highlight particular targets for researchers as they proceed into optimizing the biology of MICP for biocement production.
ISSN:0099-2240
1098-5336
DOI:10.1128/aem.01794-22