In a groundbreaking study led by a multinational team of experts, researchers at National Jewish Health and their collaborators in Colorado, Illinois, Taiwan and Israel have introduced a new term to the medical lexicon: silicosarcoidosis. This novel designation describes cases where patients’ lung tissue exhibits overlapping features of both silicosis and sarcoidosis, two serious pulmonary diseases linked to occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) commonly found in construction, mining, and engineered stone fabrication.

Addressing one of the most persistent and expensive problems in construction, Jin, an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, has taken inspiration from nature to develop a synthetic lichen system to enable concrete to self-repair.

Lichen is an understated presence in our everyday world, often found clinging to trees and rocks. Its true beauty lies in its unique symbiotic system of fungi and algae, or cyanobacteria, that form a self-sustaining partnership, allowing it to thrive in even the harshest conditions. With that inspiration, researchers created a synthetic lichen system that collaborates like natural lichens. Their system uses cyanobacteria, which turns air and sunlight into food, and filamentous fungi, which produces minerals that seal the cracks. Working together, these microbes survive on nothing more than air, light and water. The autonomy of this system sets it apart from previous self-healing concrete endeavors.