I’ve just learned about hydroxyapatite (HAp), a mineral that NASA scientists discovered had applications for tooth repair. HAp’s biggest news story this month is that it can be produced via yeast and recycled urine. I can’t say I’ll be targeting that production method for my next toothpaste.
Cost-effective urine recycling enabled by a synthetic osteoyeast platform for production of hydroxyapatite - Nature Communications
Upcycling urine in wastewater for nitrogen and phosphorus production has gained attention, but their low market values hamper the application. Here, the authors develop a yeast platform that mimics osteoblast mechanisms to produce the high-value hydroxyapatite directly from urine.
nature.com