Peter Trimble found his formula through trial and error. A design student at the University of Edinburgh,
he was aiming to produce an artistic exhibition for a module on
sustainability, when he stumbled on "Dupe," a living alternative to
concrete.
A lab technician introduced
Trimble to Sporosarcina pasteurii, a bacterium with binding qualities,
sometimes used to solidify soil to hold road signs in place. The student
tested it with one of the world's most abundant resources - sand.
Pumping bacterial solution into a sand-filled mould, he added nutrients,
urea derived from urine as fertilizer and calcium. After a year, and
hundreds of failed experiments, this process manufactured a stool around
70% the compression strength of concrete.
The
process requires less than one-sixth of the energy used in concrete
production, and is completely biodegradable. Crucially, Trimble believes
his mechanism has the added benefit that it could be employed by
anyone, anywhere.MORE
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