IMSE Seminar with Maneesh Gupta on Formulation and Testing of Ready to Spray Biocement
Biomineralization through microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a process that has shaped Earth’s geological features, yet can also be harnessed as a green technology for civil and environmental engineering applications. Cement is the third largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions globally, accounting for an estimated 8% of emissions. Biocement, produced via MICP, is a material with similar properties to traditional cement that has the potential to mitigate its environmental impacts. Sporosarcina pasteurii is a soil bacterium that has emerged as the model organism for biocement production. We have developed shelf-stable formulations of S. pasteurii that permit biocement production across scales, including field-based production using natural soil as a substrate. Through various field tests we have demonstrated that this formulation can be used to rapidly and reliably biomineralize calcium carbonate, leading to in situ biocement production and increased bearing capacity of the ground. Our results indicate that stabilized preparations of bacteria are a viable means by which biocement may be manufactured. This is advantageous as it has the potential to be produced at industrial scales and used as a ready-mix formula for the creation of biocement that is accessible to nontechnical professionals. Shelf-stable formulas such as this will make the process of biocement production easier, paving the way for more widespread adoption of biocement as a construction material.
Dr. Maneesh K. Gupta is a Senior Materials Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. His field of expertise is the processing and characterization of bio-manufactured materials with specific emphasis on high-throughput measurement of materials properties. Dr. Gupta is the USAF representative on the program management team for the Tri-Service Biotechnology for Resilient Supply Chains (T-BRSC) program funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Gupta has been leading the development of biomanufactured materials including optical materials, high-temperature resins, and biocement materials for agile infrastructure. Dr. Gupta received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral fellow in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University.
Faculty, students, and the general public are invited.