Mija Hubler News

Professor featured in Colorado Environmental Film Festival documentary

sugl6437 — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:53:09 +0000

Professor featured in Colorado Environmental Film Festival documentary sugl6437 Fri, 02/13/2026 - 13:53

Susan Glairon

“Women of Carbon,” a documentary featuring Mija Hubler, associate professor of structural engineering and structural mechanics, was selected as the opening night film for the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in Golden. The film highlights women transforming the construction industry through sustainable innovation, decarbonization and green technology.

Hubler’s research interests include aging of construction materials, concrete infrastructure design and construction methods and the design of alternative construction materials from biological elements and engineered waste materials. She is a co-founder of Prometheus Materials, a bio-cement start-up in Longmont, Colorado.

Tell us about “Women of Carbon.

The main three points the film addresses are decarbonization, human health and economic opportunity. The focus is on efforts to decarbonize the construction materials and the motivations behind that work. It explores why a number of women are leading efforts to address these challenges.

How did you become involved in this documentary?

The documentary was Director Basia (Myszynski)’s idea. She contacted me and asked to visit our labs. She interviewed me twice—once when she started the project and then a year later, after she interviewed others in the industry. The second time she interviewed me, we met in Longmont, and I showed her around our startup Prometheus so that she could see the technology we developed.

Tell us about the research you described in the film.

Portland cement is the most common type of cement used in construction. Its production requires a lot of energy and releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment.

"I never thought actually I would be a woman of carbon," said Associate Professor Mija Hubler. "I always dreamed of big bridges and towers, only to realize that in the future we're not going to be building any bigger bridges or towers, unless we embrace this challenge of carbon all around us."

In the documentary, I talk about two of my research efforts. The first is a new bio-based cement that we developed through Prometheus Materials. It’s a carbon-negative cement which combines microalgae with natural binders to create a sustainable alternative to standard concrete.

I also sketched out a second project that uses a different type of bacteria; this bacteria repairs concrete by sealing cracks. At the time the documentary was being made, the technology was just a vision. Since then, we won the CU �鶹ӰԺ Embark Challenge for that product and are now launching a new company focused on bringing it to market.

What drives your passion for your research?

I've seen incremental evolutions in concrete technology and alternative cements. The biological approach is a significantly new step. It may be harder for industry to embrace, but it could have a much larger impact on this industry’s carbon footprint. And it can also maintain our existing infrastructure because it could be used to repair the cracks in old concrete.

Why did you participate in this documentary?

It’s an interesting idea to feature women decarbonizing construction materials. Structural engineering, which is what I study, historically was male-dominated. In some of my undergraduate courses, I was the only woman. But as the field included more materials research, it's become a more diverse field.

I also found this project interesting because the documentary format was completely different from the type of media I was used to. It wasn't a research paper. And it turned out to be a big deal! It's the centerpiece of this festival.

What was the most exciting part about being included in this documentary?

I flew to Portland, Oregon, with my family for the Aug. 14, 2025, opening night. At that point, I hadn't seen the film, and I was really impressed.

If you go

What: “Women of Carbon,” opening night film for the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, features Mija Hubler, associate professor of structural engineering and structural mechanics. Hubler will also participate in a post-film discussion.

When: Feb. 20, 7 p.m.

Where: Bunker Auditorium @ Green Center, Colorado School of Mines, Golden

Tickets: $15-$25, purchase tickets.

Watch the trailer
More information

Watching the documentary together was a way to share my research with my family in a way that I can't usually do. It was also exciting to sit in the audience. There were high schoolers around me chatting after the movie, saying, "Oh, maybe we could study this."

Your daughter was in the documentary. What did she think about it?

My daughter is now 9. When she saw it a year ago, she was very excited. She told all her friends she was going to be a movie star. The topics were a little bit over her head. But she loved being in it.

What do you hope viewers take away?

I hope high school students take with them the hope and passion for civil engineering. I hope that everyone sees that there's a lot of potential to advance the construction field. We can pursue new construction in a more sustainable way while maintaining existing structures.

I'm excited to show the film to my friends, family and the community because it feels like the first time I can share my research with them. The documentary gives me a new way to communicate with them about what I do.

“Women of Carbon,” featuring Associate Professor Mija Hubler, opens the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in Golden on Feb. 20. The documentary highlights women reshaping construction through sustainable innovation and decarbonization.

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CUE magazine: A big fix

Susan Glairon — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:35:32 +0000

CUE magazine: A big fix Susan Glairon Thu, 06/26/2025 - 14:35

In this 2025 edition of CU Engineering (CUE) magazine, CEAE researchers tackle pressing challenges—such as the increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes, wildfires and floods—head-on, developing innovative solutions to repair aging infrastructure and build a more resilient future.

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Check out these CEAE conferences!

Susan Glairon — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:55:46 +0000

Check out these CEAE conferences! Susan Glairon Tue, 06/03/2025 - 10:55

CEAE is hosting five conferences, this summer and beyond. Please join us!

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Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory

Susan Glairon — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:18:11 +0000

Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory Susan Glairon Mon, 04/21/2025 - 11:18

Two department projects funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory, an ongoing alliance between Deloitte Consulting LLP and CU �鶹ӰԺ, will develop tools to reduce carbon: one for optimizing data center energy storage, led by Associate Professor Kyri Baker, and one for evaluating local materials in cement, led by Associate Professor Mija Hubler.

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Dept. of Energy offers Prometheus Materials $10M to study CO2 removal in concrete

Susan Glairon — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:18:00 +0000

Dept. of Energy offers Prometheus Materials $10M to study CO2 removal in concrete Susan Glairon Fri, 11/15/2024 - 08:18

Prometheus Materials, a zero-carbon building materials company spun out of the labs of Wil Srubar, Mija Hubler and Sherri Cook, along with partner groups will receive $10 million from the DOE to study the removal of carbon dioxide from cement.

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Three CEAE faculty selected for Climate Innovation Collaboratory research awards

Susan Glairon — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:14:00 +0000

Three CEAE faculty selected for Climate Innovation Collaboratory research awards Susan Glairon Wed, 11/06/2024 - 15:14

Deloitte and the �鶹ӰԺ Climate Innovation Collaboratory Research Awards selected three CEAE faculty members for funding: Associate Professor Kyri Baker’s proposal “Viability of Long- and Short-Duration Energy Storage for AI Data Centers: Carbon, Cost and Reliability” and Associate Professor Mija Hubler (PI) and Associate Professor Jeong-Hoon Song’s (co-PI) proposal, “Framework for Mix Design Relations of Low-Embedded Carbon using Local Materials."

Deloitte and CU �鶹ӰԺ launched the Climate Innovation Collaboratory to translate cutting-edge climate research and data into meaningful climate solutions for businesses, organizations, government agencies and communities.

Kyri Baker, Mija Hubler and JH Song were selected for the Deloitte/�鶹ӰԺ Climate Innovation Collaboratory Research Awards for translating climate research and data into meaningful climate solutions for businesses, organizations, government agencies and communities.

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CUE Magazine: Building Blocks

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 17:05:15 +0000

CUE Magazine: Building Blocks Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 11:05

CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty developed an eco-friendly cement that emits little to no carbon dioxide and recycles 95 percent of its water. In 2021, they commercialized it as Prometheus Materials. The company produces bio-concrete using blue-green algae, mimicking natural processes that form seashells and coral reefs.

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Forbes spotlights CU �鶹ӰԺ green concrete spinout

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:14:08 +0000

Forbes spotlights CU �鶹ӰԺ green concrete spinout Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/20/2023 - 10:14

Forbes Magazine is featuring groundbreaking research conducted by faculty members at CU �鶹ӰԺ in the field of eco-friendly concrete.

Cement is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, responsible for about eight percent of global output.

Prometheus Materials, a company co-founded by Wil Srubar and Mija Hubler, associate professors in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, is commercializing an algae-based form of concrete developed from research at CU �鶹ӰԺ.

This new concrete that can be grown in a laboratory and has significant potential to drastically reduce environmental pollution caused by construction activities around the globe.

Read the full article at Forbes...

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CEAE researchers' work published in Concrete International magazine

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:28:11 +0000

CEAE researchers' work published in Concrete International magazine Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/25/2023 - 13:28

The article, "Carbon-Negative Pilot," was published in the August issue of Concrete International magazine. Authors include Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering researchers Yao Wang, a post doctoral research associate working in Mija Hubler's lab; Associate Professor Mija Hubler; Associate Professor Wil V. Srubar III; Shane Frazier, a graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering Program, working in the Living Materials Lab under Srubar; and Linfei Li, a postdoctoral researcher in Hubler's lab, and others.

Their research explores the possibility of storing carbon in permanent building elements to reduce our carbon footprint.

The project involved research integrating products from two start-ups which spun out of CU �鶹ӰԺ —Prometheus Materials, a company spun out of the CEAE labs of Srubar, Hubler and Sherri Cook; and Jeff Cameron in Biochemistry at the College of Arts and Sciences; and Minus Materials, which uses microalgae to produce CO2-storing biominerals for the cement and concrete industry.

The article discusses testing a system designed to achieve overall carbon negativity. The system comprises a concrete slab supporting a wall constructed using concrete masonry units (CMUs). The concrete slab was made of alkali-activated cement containing algae-derived carbon-storing, biogenic limestone. The CMUs contain biomineralizing microalgae and a proprietary hydrogel binder as cement replacement.

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$10M Department of Defense project for self-repairing concrete inspired by human vascular systems

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 21:46:44 +0000

$10M Department of Defense project for self-repairing concrete inspired by human vascular systems Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/01/2023 - 15:46

Susan Glairon

Each time Mija Hubler drives through Denver, she notices bridges patched with concrete and thinks about how these structures might fail.

Hubler, an associate professor in CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, envisions a future where concrete cracks are repaired deep within to prevent such failures. She and her team of CU �鶹ӰԺ researchers and partners are developing technology that infuses concrete with self-repair capabilities found in living organisms.

“Bridges are just patched again and again,” Hubler says. “My dream is to extend the structures’ lifetime by integrating this technology into new and aging construction.”

The project, "Reinforced Concrete Repair by an Evolving Visualized Internal Vascular Ecosystem (RC-REVIVE)" research team, has landed a $10 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biorestoration of Aged Concrete (BRACE) program, which draws inspiration from networks of filamentous fungi and human vascular systems.

The idea is that networks of cracks in concrete can naturally provide a pathway to facilitate internal healing, similar to the veins in human bodies. Creating a biological network within a structure will allow the team to introduce nutrients and organisms for concrete self-repair.

Led by Hubler, the research team includes Associate Professor Wil Srubar, Associate Teaching Professor Chris Senseney and Assistant Professor Srikanth Madabhushi as well as four researchers from Drexel University and North Carolina State University.

Leveraging cracked networks to extend a concrete structure’s lifespan has never been done before, Hubler says. The team’s approach has the potential to transform the maintenance and durability of concrete structures, reducing long-term repair costs, she adds.

The project’s immediate goal is to enhance the longevity of Department of Defense structures and airfield pavements. If successful, the project will not only prevent new damage, but also shorten repair time, reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of infrastructure.

The 4.5-year research effort consists of a strategic track, focusing on long-term solutions for large, heavy structures such as missile silos and naval piers, and a tactical track for improving rapid airfield damage repair.

Susan Glairon sat down with principal investigator Associate Professor Mija Hubler to find out more about the project.
Why is this project important to you?
I have been studying the long term deterioration of large reinforced concrete structures since I was a graduate student. Reinforced concrete structures not only cost dollars, but also lives, because they fall apart much earlier than expected.

This project combines my work developing new living materials for structural applications with my extensive background in studying the deterioration of existing reinforced concrete structures. It’s an exciting project because it merges those two areas.

What’s different about this project?
Compared to other projects I've worked on that utilized bio approaches for engineering applications, this project specifically focuses on vascularization. We draw inspiration from the idea that concrete crack networks naturally provide a pathway, similar to the veins in our bodies. By creating a biological pathway within the structure, we can introduce nutrients and organisms, enabling self-repair capabilities.

The bacteria will repair cracks through mineral deposition.

Why is the proposed method a better way to repair concrete?
Currently we repair concrete after the damage has reached the surface, but typically the damage begins subsurface. Patching the broken surface is not actually repairing the system. Our method addresses the damage from within, allowing more effective and lasting repairs.

Why are you looking at a bio solution?
Researchers across all disciplines of engineering are realizing the importance of collaborations with biology and bioengineering. In this project, we're exploring a combination of organisms that are either available in the wild or engineered to fulfill a specific purpose.

How do these organisms survive?
It depends on which organism. For a photosynthetic organism, light may be sufficient. For non-photosynthetic organisms, additional stimulants can be incorporated into the material to encourage them to grow or respond. You can also promote the growth of certain organisms with an electric field through a current applied to the system.

How many years might an organism be able to make repairs?
It depends on the organism. We are putting these organisms in an environment they don't like to live in. Concrete is not an ideal habitat for any organism, so we plan to engineer coating and other technologies to help the organisms live longer. Additionally, we might need to periodically check on the vascular system and provide it with additional nutrients to support the organism’s existence. Our approach shifts the focus from yearly surface repairs to monitoring the health of the vascular network.

Is the research focused on repairing existing concrete or is it to prevent cracks in new concrete as well?
The first two years of the project primarily focuses on developing a bio-based repair technique. After this initial stage, the team will explore two potential applications. One application involves the underground repair of aged, reinforced concrete, including filling existing cracks, and mitigating corrosion from rebars. The other application focuses on repairing extensively damaged airfields, which is different because when an airfield is damaged, it results in regions of missing material. So our technology will need to be incorporated into a new repair material that resembles fresh concrete. We have design metrics aimed at determining the capacity of repaired sections to accommodate aircraft landings. CU �鶹ӰԺ is leading both applications.

How will you assess the longevity of internal repairs?
We will assess the mechanical and chemical condition of the concrete along with the effectiveness of the biological repair system. That information will be used by our modeling experts to develop a numerical model that predicts the structure’s lifetime.

Will this technology be used just for military applications, or will the research be used to improve civilian roads and bridges?
While DARPA projects are often inspired by military needs, most technologies initially developed for one purpose may be used for other purposes as well. Although the project intends to address an array of challenges faced by the military, the resulting product could be utilized for civilian infrastructure as well.

Structural Engineering Professor Mija Hubler and her team of researchers and partners are developing a technology that infuses concrete with self-repair capabilities found in living organisms. The project has landed a $10 million Department of Defense grant.

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