A research team is developing a living biomaterial that could be used to 3D print housing on Mars, according to reports from Universe Today, CNET, Euronews and 3D Printing Industry. The work centers on genetically engineered yeast combined with gelatine and rock dust, a mix the outlets describe as a candidate for construction material on the Red Planet.
Coverage of the project points to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, or HKUST, which 3D Printing Industry links to the printing of Mars housing from yeast, gelatine and rock dust. Labroots describes the same concept as a living biomaterial that uses yeast to print 3D houses on Mars. CNET framed the idea around familiar reference points, noting that Jell-O and beer may hold keys to brewing houses on Mars.
The reports present the material as a possible route to building the first Martian outposts, with Universe Today stating that genetically engineered yeast could help construct them. Euronews places the effort in a broader context, reporting that scientists are testing biomaterials for 3D printing as part of plans to colonise Mars after the Moon.
The accounts available do not detail how the yeast is modified, how the printing process works, or how the material would perform under Martian conditions. No timelines or mission dates are given in the material reviewed.
What to watch next: further results from the HKUST team on how the yeast-based material holds up in testing, and whether the approach moves from laboratory trials toward practical construction concepts.