It is a common phenomenon for the traditional concrete to crack, requiring maintenance and reparations before reinforcement starts to corrode. Luckily, it seems that Delft University microbiology professor Henk Jonkers has found the solution to this problem. Inspired by nature, he developed ‘Bio-concrete’, a new type of material that brings together biology and civil engineering and could save billions in construction costs by improving the lifespan of buildings, bridges and roads. "It is combining nature with construction materials. Nature is supplying us a lot of functionality for free - in this case, limestone-producing bacteria’’, says the professor. 

This opens up new possibilities in plastic recycling and decontamination