Biocement and Mycelium Magic: Turning Martian Soil into Liveable Structures

In this video, we explore the idea of growing habitats on Mars using living organisms and local resources, no heavy bricks shipped from Earth required!

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We dive into two fascinating approaches:

Mycelium Composites (fungi-based): NASA's Mycotecture Off Planet project, led by Dr Lynn Rothschild at NASA Ames, funded through NIAC Phase III ($2M+ in 2024). Dormant fungi are sent to Mars, fed mission waste and hydrated with local water, then grow through Martian regolith to form strong, insulating, fire-resistant, self-repairing structures – domes, bricks, panels, even furniture. Early tests show 99% radiation reduction with just 3 inches of material!

Biocements (bacteria-based): The Chinese proposal from The Innovation journal outlines using microbes (including perchlorate-reducing bacteria like Azospira oryzae) to detoxify Martian soil, precipitate calcium carbonate binders via MICP, and create bio-concrete. A potential two-stage process: bacteria first clean and process regolith, then fungi bind it into final structures.

We cover:

How these methods slash launch mass to less than 1% of final structure weight (99% from in-situ resources)

Alignment with NASA's Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 “Commuter” scenario

The four-stage roadmap from the Chinese study

Key challenges: radiation, temperature swings, perchlorates, low pressure
Plans for real testing on the upcoming Starlab commercial space station (targeting 2029 launch)

Could fungi and bacteria really let us grow permanent bases on Mars? What do you think of growing houses from mushrooms or detoxifying soil with bacteria? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

00:00 Intro
01:20 Bio-Structures: Mycelium Composites and Biocement
01:30 Mycelium Composites (Fungi-Based)
02:36 Biocements (Bacteria-Based)
03:51 Benefits of Bio-Structures
04:39 Roadmap as Proposed by the Chinese Study
05:19 Key Challenges of Microbe Based Structures and Materials
05:59 Myco-Architecture: Growing a Martian Base Camp
07:51 Alignment with NASA’s Mars Plans
11:14 Final Thoughts
12:57 Outro

Sources:

Extraterrestrial bio-construction technology system: https://www.the-innovation.org/article/doi/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100193

Could Future Homes on the Moon and Mars Be Made of Fungi? https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/could-future-homes-on-the-moon-and-mars-be-made-of-fungi/

Myco-architecture off planet: growing surface structures at destination: https://www.nasa.gov/general/myco-architecture-off-planet-growing-surface-structures-at-destination/

“Mycotecture off Planet” Phase II Final Report: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/niac-2021-phii-rothschild-mycotecture-tagged.pdf?emrc=cd1b74

Voyager Details its Plans for In-Space Manufacturing: https://payloadspace.com/voyager-details-its-future-plans-for-in-space-manufacturing/

#MarsHabitat #Mycelium #Mycotecture #NASA #SpaceConstruction #InSituResourceUtilisation #MarsBase #Bioconstruction #FungiInSpace #starlab

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