A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, together with colleagues from Japan, has developed an unusual technology: they convert human urine into hydroxyapatite, a mineral widely used in dentistry, orthopedics, archaeological restoration, and biodegradable materials. Interesting Engineering reports.
The solution is based on the biosynthetic system of yeast and allows not only to dispose of urine, which in large volumes harms aquatic ecosystems, but also to create a valuable medical resource.
In nature, hydroxyapatite (HAp) is produced by osteoblasts, the cells that form bone tissue. They extract calcium and phosphate from body fluids. However, this process cannot be scaled up for industrial production. Therefore, scientists created "osteoyeast" - a synthetic strain that mimics the functions of osteoblasts. This yeast breaks down urea, raises the pH, collects calcium and phosphates, and then crystallizes them into HAp. As a result, up to 1 gram of the finished material can be obtained from 1 liter of urine.
Professor David Kisailus, one of the authors of the study, emphasizes: the process helps to eliminate the environmental problem of excess nutrients in wastewater. At the same time, it provides a product, the market value of which could reach $ 3.5 billion by 2030.
Another advantage of the technology is its simplicity. The yeast can be grown in large tanks at low temperatures, similar to those used in beer production. This could make the new urine-based materials a cheaper and more environmentally friendly source of implants, especially in regions where sophisticated equipment or expensive medical technology is not available.
Thus, researchers are not only finding new uses for biological waste, but also paving the way for large-scale production of a new generation of medical materials using bioengineering.
If the technology can be implemented on an industrial scale, it could revolutionize medicine, ecology, and resource recycling.