Matters Microbial #116: Microbes in the Concrete Instead of the Abstract November 14, 2025

Today Dr. Julie Maresca, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how bacteria can interact with a ubiquitous part of modern life:  concrete!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Julie Maresca

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Links for this episode

• Hartiful, the vendor that makes the enamel pins I often show on the podcast.
• An overview of microbes and the "built environment."
• An article about how concrete is made.
• A video on how concrete is made.
• The concept of "self repairing" concrete.
• An overview of the microbial limits to life with regard to pH.
• A description of alkalinophilic bacteria.
• Biofilms that form on concrete.
• Difficulties in obtaining DNA from rock.
• An overview of oligotrophic microbes.
• The alkali-silica reaction in concrete.
• Challenges of road salt and concrete.
• An overview of halophilic microbes.
• An overview of xerophilic microbes.
• The concept of SLiME communities.
• The term aeonophiles.
• Is "Roman" concrete self-repairing?
• A company that produces "microbial concrete."
• An article relevant to today's discussion by Dr. Maresca and colleagues.
• Dr. Maresca's faculty website.  
• Dr. Maresca's wonderful and artistic research website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com