Progress tracks

How do bacterial activities and combinations of strains determine how much calcium carbonate precipitates?

Main bottleneck: Connecting the mechanisms of bacterial mineral formation to reproducible control of precipitation in mixed cultures. Current evidence does not establish which strains or interactions account for the reported high precipitation.

How does brain creatine deficiency relate to the neurological impairment associated with GAMT gene mutations?

Main bottleneck: Current evidence does not establish how consistently findings from the genetic mouse model correspond to human neurological features, or how those features vary across affected people.

Can bacteria embedded in concrete remain viable long enough to seal later cracks and provide lasting protection against water and damaging ions?

Main bottleneck: Establishing that bacteria survive within aging concrete and reliably produce durable crack sealing under changing exposure conditions, while preserving the concrete's mechanical performance.