Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a way to combine sawdust with the mineral struvite and an enzyme derived from watermelon seeds to create a fire-resistant building material that is stronger than original spruce lumber. The material uses sawdust, a waste product from the lumber industry, which often ends up in landfills. This could help reduce the costs of new-home construction and help builders meet stringent new standards that require new homes to be more fire resistant. However, some home builders have warned that these regulations could increase the cost of new homes.