Traditional building materials, like concrete, steel, and bricks, are important achievements of engineering, but they’re also part of a rising problem. Their production contributes considerably to greenhouse gas emissions and urban pollution, while they themselves remain inert and unresponsive to the changing environment.

The LIVEMAT project offers a revolutionary alternative: hybrid living materials (HLMs) that combine bio-based polymers with living microorganisms to create materials that are not just sustainable but are alive. The core of LIVEMAT is a new composite material made from polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable polymer derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane. But PLA alone isn’t perfect. It’s brittle, vulnerable to moisture, and degrades quickly under light exposure. However, by colonizing PLA scaffolds with selected microorganisms, specifically algae, cyanobacteria, and fungi, researchers aim to create materials that perform fundamental environmental functions. Algae and cyanobacteria are capable of photosynthesizing: they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, directly combating greenhouse gas accumulation. Meanwhile, fungi can help clean up pollutants and protect against harmful microorganisms. Together, these organisms turn an inert material into an active, responsive surface that can sequester carbon, purify the air, and even provide UV protection. Furthermore, the LIVEMAT materials are designed to adapt. Unlike passive plastics or concrete, the HLMs can sense and respond to their environment, adjusting to light, moisture, and temperature changes thanks to the living cells they host.

The LIVEMAT project funded under the Weave call by ARIS and NCN (N2-0380) is a collaborative effort between the project leader, Poznan University of Technology (Poland), the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and the InnoRenew CoE (Slovenia). This international partnership brings together expertise in material science, microbiology, and renewable technologies to create groundbreaking solutions for sustainable living.

Running over four years, LIVEMAT aligns with global efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote safer, more sustainable materials. If successful, it could mark a turning point in how we design, build, and interact with the world around us.

Author: Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE