Mars bricks by bacteria: perchlorate helps turn dust into habitat material

New IISc-led research shows the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii can form stronger brick-like material from Martian regolith simulant when perchlorate—an actual Mars soil toxin—is present, thanks to enhanced extracellular matrix production that binds calcium carbonate crystals into cemented bricks; this biocementation could enable in-situ resource utilization for Mars habitats, with tests planned in CO2-rich Martian-like air and findings published in PLOS One.