Fungi and bacteria team up to make self-growing building material for Mars colonies

Scientists have developed a synthetic lichen system for autonomous construction on Mars, combining fungi and cyanobacteria to create self-growing building materials using Martian resources. The cyanobacteria produce nutrients and oxygen, while fungi bind particles together. This breakthrough eliminates the need for external supplies or human intervention. Researchers are now developing a 3D-printable regolith ink to advance this technology for future Mars colonization.