Researchers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have demonstrated that the common green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta can survive and reproduce at a pressure of only 600 Pa — more than 100 times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere. For the experiment, Professor Robin Wordsworth’s team printed a dome made of a bioplastic called polylactic acid, which allows enough light to pass through for photosynthesis but blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation, while maintaining a local microclimate with liquid water inside, despite the extremely low external pressure.
The key idea of the project is “housing that grows naturally.” Algae not only produce oxygen and dietary proteins, but also serve as raw material for new batches of the bioplastic used to make the dome. This creates a closed loop: colonists on Mars or the Moon deploy the first module and then expand the settlement, growing materials on site and minimizing costly deliveries from Earth. The results were published in the journal Science Advances on July 2, 2025; the next step is to test such “living” shells in vacuum conditions for lunar bases.
Self-sufficient biocomplexes can radically simplify long-term missions. They can provide oxygen, water, plastic materials, and even radiation protection for Martian laboratories or remote telescopes on the far side of the Moon. This paves the way for autonomous observatories and research stations that will operate for years without constant supply missions, allowing astronomers to focus on the main task — exploring the Universe — rather than the logistics of survival on another planet.
As part of this biomaterial approach, the raw materials for the construction of living modules are synthesized from algae and plant-based raw materials. Meanwhile, the actual cultivation of biomass, its processing, and recycling take place in facilities constructed from recyclable bioplastics.
If “living” domes with algae pave the way for autonomous settlements, then the next logical step is full-fledged Martian greenhouses. Read about how researchers are already growing radishes and lettuce in almost barren regolith, what soil problems the first colonists will face, and how they can be overcome — see the article “A vegetable garden on Mars. How to grow radishes in dead soil” and find out what awaits future Martian farmers!
