ArticlePloS one2021
Iron can be microbially extracted from Lunar and Martian regolith simulants and 3D printed into tough structural materials.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Challenges and limitations for live cell imaging in extreme cold.Methods and applications in fluorescence · 2026Article
- Microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the international space station.NPJ microgravity · 2026Article
- Emerging Chemical and Biological Materials Technologies in the Extraplanetary Environment.Nano-micro letters · 2026Review
- Multi-technique characterization of iron reduction by an AntarcticApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025Article
- Biomining of lunar regolith simulant EAC-1 A with the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum.Fungal biology and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Article
- Developing an alternative medium for in-space biomanufacturing.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Microbial biomanufacturing for space-exploration-what to take and when to make.Nature communications · 2023Review
- Toward sustainable space exploration: a roadmap for harnessing the power of microorganisms.Nature communications · 2023Review
- The smallest space miners: principles of space biomining.Extremophiles : life under extreme conditions · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is increasingly acknowledged as an essential requirement for the construction of sustainable extra-terrestrial colonies. Even with decreasing launch costs, the ultimate goal of establishing colonies must be the usage of resources found at the destination of interest. Typical approaches towards ISRU are often constrained by the mass and energy requirements of transporting processing machineries, such as rovers and massive reactors, and the vast amount of consumables needed. Application of self-reproducing bacteria for the extraction of resources is a promising approach to reduce these pitfalls. In this work, the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis was used to reduce three different types of Lunar and Martian regolith simulants, allowing for the magnetic extraction of iron-rich materials. The combination of bacterial treatment and magnetic extraction resulted in a 5.8-times higher quantity of iron and 43.6% higher iron concentration compared to solely magnetic extraction. The materials were 3D printed into cylinders and the mechanical properties were tested, resulting in a 400% improvement in compressive strength in the bacterially treated samples. This work demonstrates a proof of concept for the on-demand production of construction and replacement parts in space exploration.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.