Living building materials (LBMs) were engineered that are capable of both biological and structural functions. LBMs were created by inoculating an inert structural sand-hydrogel scaffold with Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, a photosynthetic cyanobacterium. The scaffold provided structural support for Synechococcus, which toughened the hydrogel matrix via calcium carbonate biomineralization. Temperature and humidity switches were utilized to regulate the metabolic activity of the microorganisms and achieve three successive regenerations of viable LBMs from one parent generation. Microbial viability in LBMs maintained in at least 50% relative humidity for 30 days was 9%–14%, which far exceeded literature values of microorganisms encapsulated in cementitious materials for similar timeframes (0.1%–0.4%). While structural function was maximized at ultradesiccated conditions, prolonged dehydration compromised microbial viability. Despite this tradeoff in biological-structural function, LBMs represent a platform technology that leverages biology to impart novel sensing, responsive, and regenerative multifunctionality to structural materials for the built environment.

设计了既具有生物学功能又具有结构功能的居住建筑材料（LBM）。LBM是通过用Synechococcus sp接种惰性的结构性沙水凝胶支架而产生的。PCC 7002，一种光合作用的蓝细菌。该支架为Synechococcus提供了结构支撑，通过碳酸钙生物矿化增韧了水凝胶基质。利用温度和湿度开关来调节微生物的代谢活性，并从一个亲代中获得三个连续的存活LBM再生。在至少50％的相对湿度下保持30天的LBM中的微生物生存力为9％–14％，远远超过了在相同时间范围内封装在胶结材料中的微生物的文献报道值（0.1％–0.4％）。虽然在超干燥条件下结构功能得以最大化，但长时间的脱水会损害微生物的生存能力。尽管在生物结构功能方面进行了权衡，但LBM还是一种平台技术，可利用生物学来传递新颖的感知，响应，