| Abstract Scope |
Concrete is the most widely used material in the world and its production and transport are responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. The leading self-healing mechanism is based on the use of bacteria and microbes, which are slow and have limited applications, as well as unknown health effects. Inspired by the extremely efficient process of CO2 transfer in biological cells, this talk introduces a method to develop a self-healing mechanism in a cementitious matrix using trace amounts of the enzyme Carbonic Anhydrase (CA). We then invented a new construction material with an outstanding compressive strength that is higher than the minimum required for cement mortar. Our enzymatic construction material (ECM) has the potential to serve as a strong construction material with self-healing capabilities, which provides a new pathway to substitute for concrete. Moreover, ECM production is carbon negative and can serve as a partial carbon sequestration method. |