Engineered living carbon materials

Engineered living materials (ELMs) are the most relevant contemporary revolution in the field of materials science. ELMs aim to generate next-generation advanced materials, outperforming current examples of smart, active, or multifunctional materials. Current examples of ELMs have mostly focused on either cell-derived biofilms or polymer-based hybrid living materials. This article aims to establish carbon materials as ideal candidates for the non-living counterpart in a hybrid living material system because of their excellent biocompatibility and unique functional properties. Hybrid living carbon materials (HLCMs), arising from the cooperation of living cells and functional carbon scaffold, can potentially offer a variety of exciting properties, significantly superior to other examples of ELMs. Furthermore, the existence of several carbon allotropes can lead to the development of different families of HLCMs, expanding the opportunities for ELMs. This article emphasizes the potential of HLCMs by reviewing currently available examples of HLCMs, identifying current challenges, and proposing a methodology for HLCMs. These HLCMs can exhibit revolutionary potential in a plethora of applications, ranging from biomedical and biotechnological applications to space exploration.