Abstract
Urban road infrastructure suffers from micro-fissure propagation driven by freeze-thaw cycles and heavy mechanical loads, culminating in catastrophic pothole formation. Traditional asphalt maintenance is carbon-intensive, economically burdensome, and disruptive to traffic flow. This paper proposes a bio-hybrid infrastructure paradigm utilizing a genetically resilient, bioluminescent fungal strain—Panellus-Pleurotus bio-calcifier (PPB-1)—embedded within microencapsulated nutrient matrices in porous asphalt sub-layers. Upon microcrack propagation, moisture and oxygen ingress rupture the microcapsules, activating dormantly staged fungal spores. As hyphal networks extend across crack interfaces, they mediate microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) via ureolytic and organic acid mineralization pathways, effectively binding aggregate fractures. Simultaneously, the enzymatic luciferin-luciferase pathway yields a sustained green bioluminescence (wavelength peak ~525 nm), offering passive, self-powered road delineation during nighttime hours. Laboratory simulations demonstrate complete closure of microcracks up to 1.8 mm within 14 days and a 78% restoration of unconfined compressive strength. Photometric tracking established an average luminous flux of 0.45 lux during active regeneration phases. This dual-functional myco-infrastructure presents a novel, self-repairing, and autonomous safety-enhancing solution for modern civil engineering, bridging the gap between synthetic material durability and biological self-organization.
