MICP Biomineralization and Biotic Additive Manufacturing Toward The Design of Strong Biocomposites

Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been explored as a more sustainable alternative for producing concrete-like load-bearing materials. Concurrently, additive manufacturing of biotic composites enables the production of complex hierarchical materials with minimally refined organic feedstocks. Such materials can be designed to be functional and highly biodegradable, however organic materials without a mineral phase are limited in mechanical strength, and material longevity is necessary for some applications. Here we explore MICP biomineralization of additively manufactured biotic composites, and investigate the interaction between mineral formation and biocomposite structure at multiple scales. We characterize the resulting materials and consider how MICP biomineralization and additive manufacturing can be used to design for strong and durable biocomposite materials.