Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a method of making bricks from the soil on planet Mars by using bacteria and urea, which can be used to build structures such as buildings on the surface of Mars that could help set up human settlements in Mars. An advantage of this method is the reduced porosity of the bricks, which has been a problem with other methods used to consolidate Martian soil into bricks. “The bacteria seep deep into the pore spaces, using their own proteins to bind the particles together, decreasing porosity and leading to stronger bricks.
Advertisements