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Construction Biotechnology: a new area of biotechnological research and applications

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Abstract

A new scientific and engineering discipline, Construction Biotechnology, is developing exponentially during the last decade. The major directions of this discipline are selection of microorganisms and development of the microbially-mediated construction processes and biotechnologies for the production of construction biomaterials. The products of construction biotechnologies are low cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly microbial biocements and biogrouts for the construction ground improvement. The microbial polysaccharides are used as admixtures for cement. Microbially produced biodegradable bioplastics can be used for the temporarily constructions. The bioagents that are used in construction biotechnologies are either pure or enrichment cultures of microorganisms or activated indigenous microorganisms of soil. The applications of microorganisms in the construction processes are bioaggregation, biocementation, bioclogging, and biodesaturation of soil. The biotechnologically produced construction materials and the microbially-mediated construction technologies have a lot of advantages in comparison with the conventional construction materials and processes. Proper practical implementations of construction biotechnologies could give significant economic and environmental benefits.

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Acknowledgments

The research has been partially supported by the Ministry of National Development, Singapore as MND-NTU joint R&D “Biogrouting for inderground construction—a new technology to maximize the usage of underground space in Singapore” (Grant No. SUL2013-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Ukrainian National University of Food Technologies, 68 Volodymyrska Street, Kiev, 01601, Ukraine

    Viktor Stabnikov

  2. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Viktor Stabnikov, Volodymyr Ivanov & Jian Chu

  3. Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Jian Chu

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Correspondence to Viktor Stabnikov.

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Stabnikov, V., Ivanov, V. & Chu, J. Construction Biotechnology: a new area of biotechnological research and applications. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 31, 1303–1314 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-015-1881-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-015-1881-7

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