New Process Uses Microbes to Create Valuable Materials from Urine

(newscenter.lbl.gov)

32 points | by gmays 12 hours ago

9 comments

  • WalterBright
    1 hour ago
    Urine has historically been used to create gunpowder.

    The Romans used urine as laundry detergent.

    • schiffern
      42 minutes ago
      If the Romans had only known, they could've used chewed watermelon seeds which contain urease. Adding this catalyst greatly speeds up the volatilization reaction from 3-5 weeks to overnight,[0] eliminating the need for Roman laundries to buffer weeks worth of urine as they wait for it to turn into ammonia.

      There's a reason why Roman laundries were usually located just outside the city, ideally on the downwind side...

      [0] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291165299_Citrullus...

      • Scoundreller
        10 minutes ago
        Even a single seed did the job per that study.

        Only problem was that watermelon didn’t hit the European side of the empire until the endish

  • ChuckMcM
    6 hours ago
    This is an interesting paper. I had read about recycling cow urine in dairies[1] and I wonder if the yeast would be able to make hydroxypatite out of it. At the time I came across this paper I was looking at people creating financial incentives to produce ammonia (and ammonium nitrate) at scale for farming. We import a bunch of it[2] and making it locally would be a win/win.

    [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B97801...

    [2] https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/USA/yea...

  • thayne
    1 hour ago
    Cool

    But is there enough demand for this to make it economical? I would guess the cost of material would be a very small percentage of the cost pf operations that use hydroxyapatite.

  • interestica
    5 hours ago
    Check out the Rich Earth Institute in Vermont. They're doing cool experimentation and research.

    https://richearthinstitute.org/

  • analog31
    8 hours ago
    Not the first time that urine has been used as a raw material at scale

    https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainm...

  • jrflowers
    43 minutes ago
    Finally, a way to turn urine into bones. I’ve been saying “we need to find a way to turn urine into bones” for years and people told me that it couldn’t be done
  • schiffern
    8 hours ago
    Also check out the CodysLab version of biological urine reuse (aka the giant aquarium filter):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhYW0QVS408

    Great channel. Quite a shame to hear about Cody's burnout after constant issues getting paid by YouTube, and apparently dating problems with the stigma associated with "youtuber."

  • LargoLasskhyfv
    9 hours ago
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59416-8#Abs1

    The valuable materials are artificial bone made from hydroxyapatite produced by yeast, used in bone surgery and dentistry.

    • kjkjadksj
      3 hours ago
      Now imagine how big the market would be if people could actually get cosmetic dental work covered under insurance
      • LargoLasskhyfv
        6 minutes ago
        There is no need to imagine that. It depends on the country, and your insurance. I've experienced it, not personally, because no need so far (phew!). But when I grew up that was free, for all. Like glasses, too.

        Still don't really care, because now it would be covered by my private insurance. If not they'd get sued into oblivion really fast, even if I would be incapacitated somehow.

  • aaron695
    4 hours ago
    [dead]