CyanoCement
Microbial Photosynthetic Building Materials
CyanoCement is a groundbreaking 3D-printable biocement that replaces carbon-intensive traditional cement. This material uses photosynthetic microbes to bind minerals, actively capturing CO₂ during and after production. It offers low-energy material formation and is designed for non-load-bearing architectural elements, promoting a regenerative and low-carbon construction logic. The material's green color visually confirms its biological activity.
Company/Institution
Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
The project is developed at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology through a collaboration between the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning and the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering. The research is conducted in the Design BioLab at the Disrupt Design Lab, and Applied Genomics Lab at the Biotechnology Faculty. The work brings together architectural design, advanced fabrication, and biological material research, reflecting the team’s interdisciplinary approach to innovation in sustainable building technologies.
Country
Israel
Designer(s)
Perla Armaly, Yuval Berger, Lubov Iliassafov, Keren Rosenblau, Yechezkel Kashi, Shany Barath
The project is developed by an interdisciplinary team from the Disrupt Design Lab at the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning and the Applied Genomics Lab at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering. It brings together architects, designers, and biologists with expertise in microbiology, material science, computational design, and architectural fabrication. United by an interest in photosynthetic microbes, the team explores how biological processes can capture atmospheric carbon and form mineral-based building materials through microbial biocementation at an architectural scale