These qualities make lichens ideal candidates for synthetic biology. By understanding the intricate relationships between different species within a lichen, scientists like Ledesma-Amaro and Khakhar are able to recreate these partnerships in a lab setting. This opens up a world of possibilities for creating sustainable products and materials that could benefit society in numerous ways.
One of the most exciting prospects of synthetic lichens is their potential to help combat climate change. By engineering lichens to capture and store carbon dioxide, we could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of global warming. Additionally, the ability to produce biofuels and synthetic oils from synthetic lichens could help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and move towards a more sustainable energy future.
Furthermore, the use of synthetic lichens in space exploration opens up new frontiers for human habitation beyond Earth. By utilizing engineered living materials on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars, we could potentially build structures and furniture using resources available on these planets. This could revolutionize the way we approach space colonization and make long-term human settlement on other planets a reality.
Overall, the field of synthetic lichens represents a unique intersection of biology, technology, and sustainability. By harnessing the power of symbiosis and genetic engineering, scientists are paving the way for a future where lichens play a crucial role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. As we continue to explore the potential of synthetic lichens, we may unlock even more innovative solutions that could shape the world of tomorrow in ways we have yet to imagine.
Lichens are a unique lifeform that has caught the attention of scientists and engineers alike due to their remarkable resilience in extreme conditions. It is an open question as to what aspect of their biology allows them to cope with desiccation and extreme temperatures. In Colorado, researchers have discovered that lichens’ resilience comes from biomolecules produced by the filamentous fungus, which protect the entire community in the lichen.
The symbiotic relationship between the fungus and its partner, usually algae or cyanobacteria, allows the lichen community to access a greater range of compounds than a single organism could produce. This unique ability gives lichens their superpower of surviving in harsh environments. Additionally, the slow growth of lichens enables them to thrive with minimal resources.
NASA has taken an interest in lichens due to their ability to survive exposure to both simulated and real space conditions. A lichen species called Circinaria gyrosa spent 18 months on the exterior of the International Space Station and started growing when brought back inside. This resilience excites proponents of lithopanspermia, the idea that microbes could travel between planets in asteroids.
Engineers like Congrui Jin from Texas A&M University see the potential of lichens for future space projects, such as building habitats on Mars using locally available materials. By pairing fungi with photosynthetic species like cyanobacteria, they can produce building materials from the regolith on Mars. Lichens have shown promise in turning Mars regolith into usable building material and producing biominerals and biopolymers.
While colonizing other planets remains a distant goal, lichens have immediate applications on Earth. Jin and her team have demonstrated that a lichen-based approach can be used to bind rubble together, produce self-healing concrete, and sequester carbon during the concrete-making process. By pairing fungi with cyanobacteria, they have created a co-culture that can grow on concrete and heal cracks in the structure using calcium carbonate.
The future of building materials may involve harnessing the unique abilities of lichens to create sustainable, resilient, and self-healing structures. As researchers continue to explore the potential of lichens, these fascinating organisms may play a crucial role in shaping the future of construction and habitat development, both on Earth and in space. Filamentous fungi and cyanobacteria have been found to thrive in dry and nutrient-poor conditions within concrete structures, showcasing better survivability compared to other microbes. This discovery has opened up new possibilities for sustainable biomanufacturing of building materials through the creation of synthetic lichen.
Research conducted by scientists like Jin and Khakhar has highlighted the unique symbiotic relationship between filamentous fungi and cyanobacteria. These two organisms not only coexist harmoniously but also possess the remarkable ability to precipitate calcium carbonate, a key component in building materials. Unlike traditional single-species approaches, the co-culture of these microbes does not require external nutrients, as the synthetic lichen can extract nitrogen from the air and produce its own fertiliser.
Khakhar is currently working on developing fast-growing lichen by selecting microbes with rapid growth rates and pairing them to mimic the structure of natural lichens. Through his experiments, he has successfully created a synthetic lichen in which the fungal component mineralises, forming a mycelium with a stone-like exoskeleton. This breakthrough paves the way for the production of sustainable building materials, known as mycomaterials, using engineered lichen.
The study of symbiosis in lichens has provided valuable insights into the interconnectedness of organisms within ecosystems. Lichens serve as living examples of mutual dependence and cooperation, offering a glimpse into the potential of biomanufacturing and material science. By harnessing the unique properties of filamentous fungi and cyanobacteria, researchers are unlocking new possibilities for the development of innovative materials that could shape the future of construction and design.
Next time you come across lichen growing on a tree, gravestone, or bench, take a moment to appreciate the intricate ecosystem it represents. These seemingly simple organisms hold the key to revolutionary advancements in biotechnology and sustainable manufacturing, offering a glimpse into a future where nature and technology work hand in hand to create a more sustainable world.
