Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a potentially groundbreaking new living building material that draws carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air.
This new “living” material is a blend of hydrogel and cyanobacteria that can grow, harden, and continuously absorb carbon dioxide from its environment, much like a tree. What sets this material apart is its dual carbon storage mechanism. As the cyanobacteria photosynthesize, they convert CO₂ into biomass, which the microbes can consume and use as food, and a mineral carbonate, which allows the material to harden into a long-lasting form.
“We see our living material as a low-energy and environmentally friendly approach that can bind CO2 from the atmosphere and complement existing chemical processes for carbon sequestration,” explained Mark Tibbitt, Professor of Macromolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich.
Published in Nature, the study details the unique development of this living material, which can be 3D printed into custom shapes, allowing architects to design structures that maximize light and nutrient flow, keeping the bacteria healthy and active. Due to the porous nature of the hydrogel, the microbes can continue to capture CO₂.
This technology was put to the test at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. ETH doctoral student Andrea Shin Ling and her team constructed two three-meter-tall, tree-trunk-like towers using the living material for the Picoplanktonics installation in the Canada Pavilion. Each of these experimental towers can bind up to 18 kilograms of CO₂ per year. For reference, that’s what one healthy adult pine tree consumes per year in a temperate climate.
According to the study, in controlled tests, the material absorbed CO₂ for over 400 days, with most of the captured carbon stored as solid minerals. Researchers measured a binding rate of about 26 milligrams of CO₂ per gram of material. The process is low-energy, requiring only sunlight, CO₂, and a simple artificial seawater solution with nutrients to sustain the bacteria.
The overall hope for researchers is that buildings and structures can become active carbon sinks, storing CO₂ throughout their entire lifespan. They envision older buildings covered in a façade made of this material, as well as interiors of buildings featuring furniture or art installations, and ultimately transforming the entire construction industry, where entire buildings are built out of this “living material.”
While there is serious potential, the technology is still in its early stages. Scaling up production for real-world building projects will require further research into durability, long-term bacterial activity, and integration with existing construction methods. There are also practical questions about maintaining the optimal conditions for the bacteria to thrive in diverse climates and over extended periods.
Still, the early results are drawing attention from architects and sustainability experts alike. The living material offers a vision of the future where our cities not only minimize harm but actively help heal the planet. If the technology can be refined and scaled, it could help usher in an era of living, breathing architecture.
MJ Banias covers space, security, and technology with The Debrief. You can email him at mj@thedebrief.org or follow him on Twitter @mjbanias.