Growing biological houses from engineered photosynthetic tissues.
Why?
The future of human habitation is being shaped by two major forces - climate change and space exploration. In either environment, it is inevitable that our homes have to be radically different from the ones we live in today.
What?
We aim to transform human habitation by growing houses that are biologically enhanced, carbon negative, and ecologically regenerative.
How?
We have developed a scalable artificial tissue engineering technology that harnesses the capacities of photosynthetic Cyanobacteria. This novel biological tissue can be used to construct our buildings.
The Photonite
The Photonite is a carbon-negative bio-augmentation that can be installed to transform homes. It is made of an engineered living material grown by combining methods inspired by artificial tissue engineering with photosynthetic Cyanobacteria species. It is biologically mineralized, structurally stable, and optically translucent. This living material platform is scalable and compatible with robotic fabrication for designed applications in family homes.
Microscopic images of the Photonite showing the aggregates bound by living, photosynthetic and mineralizing Cyanobacteria.
Technical presentation
Concept designs
*visualized by MidJourney AI
This project is a part of ongoing research at the Bio-Integrated Design Lab, University College London.
For more information on application potential, partnerships and research collaborations
Contact - info@tattva.uk