In the News

Science Daily covered the continued collaboration between Professor Suzanne Scarlata and Associate Professor Nima Rahbar to develop their Enzymatic Construction Material – a sustainable, low-cost replacement for concrete that can also heal itself. Scarlata and Rahbar recently received a nearly $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to refine the material, explore its ability to repair cracks in glass, and create educational programs for girls in Worcester and Nigeria.

BBC Earth featured the self-healing concrete developed by Associate Professor Nima Rahbar and Professor Suzanne Scarlata in an episode about climate-friendly ways to heat residential homes. The self-healing concrete uses an enzyme found in red blood cells to heal itself, thereby filling cracks before they cause larger structural issues.

Industry Dive spoke with Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering Associate Professor Nima Rahbar and Chemistry & Biochemistry Professor Suzanne Scarlata about their work to create an enzymatic construction material, which could be a sustainable alternative to concrete. The material removes carbon dioxide from the air during its formation and self-healing process.