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Biozeroc uses fast-growing bacteria to ‘grow’ novel bioconcrete




The potential of bioconcrete manufacturing is being rapidly realised by Biozeroc – and by Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner, who visited the fast-track start-up following news of it being awarded Innovate UK funding to the tune of £815,000.

This highly competitive grant awarded this month marks a crucial step in setting up the world’s first on-site integration of bioconcrete manufacturing.

Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of bioconcrete start-up Biozeroc, at Allia Future Business Centre’s B2 Campus. Picture: Keith Heppell
Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of bioconcrete start-up Biozeroc, at Allia Future Business Centre’s B2 Campus. Picture: Keith Heppell

In partnership with Maplex Technology and the University of East London (UEL), Biozeroc is already producing samples in its lab at Allia’s B2 site on King’s Hedges Road. From here it aims to showcase its new cement option, which is grown from bacteria, and thereby disrupt the construction industry’s reliance on traditional cement by introducing a novel technique to ‘grow’ concrete using biotech and existing materials.

The project represents a significant step towards the UK’s ‘net-zero’ carbon goals and the decarbonisation of concrete, which accounts for 8 per cent of all global emissions and uses 10 per cent of the world’s industrial water supplies. By integrating bio-based materials into concrete production, the consortium is removing reliance on conventional cement, lowering water consumption, and utilising secondary products from other industries to reduce waste and minimise the environmental impact of the construction industry.

Notably, the project’s success is bolstered by the backing of industry leaders Aggregate Industries, Ibstock Futures, Breedon, and Buro Happold. Their expertise and resources will play a crucial role in the implementation and validation of the bioconcrete manufacturing process on a large scale, securing its commercial viability and scale-up.

Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner visits Biozeroc at Allia FBC and is seen with co-founders Liv Andersson, CEO, and Davor Ivankovic, CTO Picture: Office of Daniel Zeichner
Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner visits Biozeroc at Allia FBC and is seen with co-founders Liv Andersson, CEO, and Davor Ivankovic, CTO Picture: Office of Daniel Zeichner

“Securing the Innovate UK grant is a tremendous achievement for Biozeroc,” said the company’s CEO, Liv Andersson. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Maplex Technology and the University of East London on this groundbreaking project, with the industry collaborations ensuring robustness and a green future for our revolutionary technology. Our joint efforts aim to transform the construction industry by integrating bio-based materials into concrete manufacturing. Together, we will pave the way for a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly future.”

Professor David Tann, Vice Provost, University of East London, said: “We are thrilled to commence this pioneering project with confidence that it will yield innovative outcomes with far-reaching environmental benefits.”

Hannah O’Brien, co-founder, Maplex Technology, also reported being “thrilled” and added: “We are looking forward to working together to support the commercialisation of Biozerocs’ proprietary bioconcrete manufacturing technology, to deliver a nature-positive alternative to current construction methods.”

Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of Biozeroc, with bioconcrete samples. Picture: Keith Heppell
Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of Biozeroc, with bioconcrete samples. Picture: Keith Heppell

For Liv, making progress can’t happen quickly enough.

“We appreciate the severity of the climate crisis,” she says before giving me a tour of the site at Allia FBC’s B2 building, which opened in 2022, “and are committed to provide cost-competitive solutions at no extra cost to the planet.

“Our vision is to provide access to carbon neutral construction materials, at scale, across the globe.

“We pride ourselves in offering technically robust, innovative and sustainable solutions. We believe that our cross-disciplinary approach is key to successful innovations, and are always welcoming innovative ideas while fostering long-term collaborations.”

Cement makes up a small proportion of concrete but is responsible for most of its carbon emissions
Cement makes up a small proportion of concrete but is responsible for most of its carbon emissions

Liv’s career path appears to be close to vertical. She was studying industrial ecology at Chalmers [University of Technology] in her native Sweden when she came to London for an internship in 2016. Although ostensibly learning about sustainable building practices for “a large global project”, she says “it went really well with the company and I was the only person who could do that type of work so I began a fast-growing career and ended up staying”.

She worked in the built environment sector until she had a realisation.

“I was part of an organisation which contributed an enormous amount to climate change and I didn’t join to be part of the problem, I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Biozeroc was founded in 2021 with Davor Ivankovic, now CTO, an experimental biologist with a PhD in cellular and molecular neuroscience from UCL, and a first-class degree in neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin.

“We’ve merged two apparently competing fields – of biotechnology and construction. We essentially do what nature is doing to lock up carbon during the formation of calcite crystals. We’re growing limestone rocks using bacteria. Similar to how corals grow in the ocean, our regenerative solution locks up carbon while forming calcite crystals to bind aggregates – similar to how cement binds aggregates in concrete. As such, our solution can entirely remove the need for carbon-intensive cement.”

The team of 12 – “mostly scientists” – includes specialists in biotechnology, engineering and industrial microbiology.

“It’s a lot about growing bacteria fast and keeping them happy,” Liv volunteers.

Biozeroc CEO and co-founder Liv Andersson with senior experimental scientist Rob Smith in the lab. Picture: Keith Heppell
Biozeroc CEO and co-founder Liv Andersson with senior experimental scientist Rob Smith in the lab. Picture: Keith Heppell

Happy?

“Bacteria is a living organism,” replies Liv. “It’s really efficient – one pint grows a cubic metre of concrete in less than 24 hours.

“Ultimately we want to sell it as a direct replacement that can be integrated in the construction industry: in the short term we’ll make it ourselves to show customers this is real and create demand – our customers are the [property] developers. Next year we’ll have a shipping container on-site producing bio-concrete slabs.”

Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of Biozeroc, with bioconcrete samples. Picture: Keith Heppell
Liv Andersson, co-founder and CEO of Biozeroc, with bioconcrete samples. Picture: Keith Heppell

How did the visit with the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs come about?

“I just sent him a letter and invited him and he replied,” says Liv. “We had a meeting and a presentation, he did a tour of the lab... He was really interested in the science which was fun to see, so we had a chat about the challenges ahead and how he could help us.”

Mr Zeichner said of the visit: “I’m impressed with Biozeroc’s commitment to tackling climate change and transforming the future of the construction industry.

“We need innovative initiatives like this to help secure Britain’s position as a leader in the global green economy.”



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