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BioZEment (completed)

BioZEment 2.0 is part of the Centre for Digital Life Norway. More information about the project can be found on the DLN webpages.

About the project

The production of concrete accounts for more than 5% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, and new, disruptive technology in the field is needed to make a large-scale impact. Among the alternative avenues currently pursued is the use of naturally occurring mineral-microbe interactions in the production of construction materials. Integrated efforts across multiple disciplines, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, mathematics, geochemistry, process engineering, techno-economics, and social sciences will make it possible to pave the way for a more sustainable production of concrete for construction purposes in the bioeconomy era. 

The idea of BioZEment originates from the Research Council of Norway's first Idélab "Towards the Zero Emission Society" (2014). Our basic concept is to employ bacteria to produce acid to partially dissolve crushed limestone, and subsequently induce an increase in pH by biocatalysis to initiate re-precipitation of calcium carbonate to bind sand grains together, forming a solid, concrete-like construction material. Experimental results from the Idélab project indicate the overall feasibility of the BioZEment concept. However, in order to elevate the current technological achievements to the next level, an in-depth systems-scale understanding at different levels will be necessary to guide further development of the concept. To that purpose, the BioZEment consortium will team up with additional partners at IRIS and NTNU, forming BioZEment 2.0, to expand its theoretical and predictive capabilities in the fields of systems biology and bio-geochemical process modelling. This is essential to guide the BioZEment process towards commercial large-scale applications.

Financing

Norwegian Research Council

Publications

  • Borch, Anita & Throne-Holst, Harald (2021). Does Proof of Concept Trump All? RRI Dilemmas in Research Practices. Science and Engineering Ethics. ISSN 1353-3452. 27(1). doi: 10.1007/s11948-021-00288-8.
  • Myhr, Anders; Røyne, Frida; Brandtsegg, Andreas Saur; Bjerkseter, Catho; Throne-Holst, Harald & Borch, Anita [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Towards a low CO2 emission building material employing bacterial metabolism (2/2): Prospects for global warming potential reduction in the concrete industry. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 14(4). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208643. Full text in Research Archive
  • Røyne, Anja; Phua, Yi Jing; Le, Simone Balzer; Eikjeland, Ina Grosås; Josefsen, Kjell Domaas & Markussen, Sidsel [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Towards a low CO2 emission building material employing bacterial metabolism (1/2): The bacterial system and prototype production. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 14(4). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212990. Full text in Research Archive
  • Phua, Yi Jing & Røyne, Anja (2018). Bio-cementation through controlled dissolution and recrystallization of calcium carbonate. Construction and Building Materials. ISSN 0950-0618. 167, p. 657–668. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.059. Full text in Research Archive

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  • Røyne, Anja; Phua, Yi Jing; Eikjeland, Ina Grosås; Wentzel, Alexander; Le, Simone Balzer & Josefsen, Kjell Domaas [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2018). BioZEment 2.0: Towards a low CO2 emission building material employing bacterial metabolism.
  • Røyne, Anja; Phua, Yi Jing; Eikjeland, Ina Grosås; Le, Simone Balzer; Markussen, Sidsel & Josefsen, Kjell Domaas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Concrete production through microbially induced dissolution and re-precipitation of limestone.
  • Røyne, Anja; Phua, Yi Jing; Borch, Anita; Throne-Holst, Harald; Josefsen, Kjell Domaas & Le, Simone Balzer [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2017). Kunsten å arbeide tverrfaglig. Forskerforum. ISSN 0800-1715. 4.
  • Throne-Holst, Harald (2016). RRI.
  • Phua, Yi Jing & Røyne, Anja (2016). Morphology and Polymorphism of Calcium Carbonate Precipitated from Different Calcium Sources via Enzyme Induced Carbonate Precipitation.
  • Borch, Anita & Throne-Holst, Harald (2016). The explicit and tacit ethics of RRI practices.
  • Throne-Holst, Harald & Borch, Anita (2014). Tacit ethics as a new mode of laboratory engagement.
  • Røyne, Frida (2017). Life Cycle Assessment of BioZEment – concrete production based on bacteria. Research Institutes of Sweden.

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Published Nov. 3, 2014 9:16 AM - Last modified Feb. 20, 2024 6:02 PM