A team from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute has made a strong concrete-like material that soaks up carbon dioxide from the air when it is produced and later to heal itself if cracks form. It’s secret is an enzyme found in red blood cells that absorbs CO2 from the air and produces calcium carbonate to build and later heal the material.

Mitigating climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world’s population. Now, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has developed an entirely new material that’s a low-cost, high-impact sustainable solution to address one of the largest contributors to climate change—concrete.

Forged with the help of enzymes, a new alternative to concrete pulls in carbon dioxide instead of releasing it (Matter 2022, DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2021.12.020). The relatively strong material has self-healing properties and hardens in 24 h—much faster than traditional concrete, which takes nearly a month.