Carbon-negative building material developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute researchers could reshape sustainable construction

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have created a carbon-negative construction material that may play a major role in the future of sustainable building. Their findings, published in Matter, present a new material called enzymatic structural material (ESM)—a durable, resilient, and completely recyclable building option made through an energy-efficient, bio-inspired method.

The project, led by Nima Rahbar, the Ralph H. White Family Distinguished Professor and head of WPI’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, centers on an enzyme that turns carbon dioxide into solid mineral particles. These particles are then bound together and allowed to cure under gentle conditions, forming usable building components in just a few hours. In contrast to conventional concrete, which requires high heat and long curing times, ESM can be produced quickly with a far smaller environmental footprint.

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world and making it generates nearly 8% of global CO₂ emissions, Rahbar explained. His team has created a realistic, scalable alternative that not only cuts emissions but removes carbon from the atmosphere. Producing one cubic meter of ESM locks away over 6 kilograms of CO₂, whereas traditional concrete releases about 330 kilograms.

Because ESM cures quickly, can be strengthened as needed, and is easy to recycle, it has strong potential for use in roof systems, wall panels, and prefabricated building modules. Its ability to be repaired rather than discarded could bring down maintenance costs and sharply reduce construction waste. Rahbar noted that even a modest shift toward carbon-negative materials like ESM could have a significant global impact.

This new approach could benefit a wide range of sectors, from affordable housing and climate-resilient infrastructure to post-disaster rebuilding, where lightweight, rapidly produced materials are crucial. And since ESM is made using low energy and renewable biological inputs, it supports worldwide efforts toward carbon-neutral construction and circular manufacturing.