Sunday, April 6, 2008
Biomimetics - Five Medical Innovations Inspired by Nature
Innovation inspired by nature is nothing new, although, stolen from nature would be more accurate. Step forward the humble sea cucumber. Scientists announced last month that by copying the consistency of the skin of these sea-bed dwellers they had developed a material for next-generation medical implants.
Biomimetics is a more formal name for the abstraction of design from nature. It is a field that involves an enormous range of scientists and has huge attractions, as recent advances have demonstrated. Professor Andrew Parker leads a research team specialising in biomimetics at the Natural History Museum in London. “Nature is multipurpose. A butterfly wing is iridiscent but it is also self-cleaning and flexible,” he says, clearly excited by the latest medical advances inspired by nature.
Flies - the new buzz in hearing aids - Scientists announced recently the development of a microphone that can pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from. This technology could be added to hearing aids, making them more efficient.
Butterflies - causing a beauty flutter - The complex 3-D structure of butterfly scales, combined with the dual layers, creates the shimmering colours of the insect's wing. Dr Ingram is working with a leading cosmetics company to see if butterfly technology can be copied or adapted to create more luminescent, sparkling eye shadows, lipsticks and foundation.
Sea cucumbers - implants - When these squishy sea creatures are threatened, their skin suddenly becomes rigid. Research suggests that this trick is achieved by chemicals secreted by the animal when in danger, which stiffen fibres embedded in their soft bodies. Material scientists from Cleveland, Ohio, have copied this, adding fine cellulose fibres to a rubbery mixture. The fibres make the mixture soft when wet, but hard when dry, potentially alleviating the damage caused by stiff electrodes.
Geckos and mussels - sticking power - One of the most interesting innovations from nature is “geckel”. It is a glue that combines the sticky powers of gecko feet, which allow the lizard to walk upside down on ceilings, with the adhesive that mussels produce to hold them fast to wet surfaces. The glue works on wet and dry surfaces and can be re-used many times.
Spiders - spinning sutures - Spider silk has strength, amazing stretch and is also, some studies seem to indicate, ignored by the human immune system, making it a perfect suture material. Biologists at the University of California made headlines last year when they isolated the gene coding for two key proteins in dragline silk. Bacteria could then be genetically engineered to produce spider silk by the mile.
We are moving beyond simply copying to using nature directly in applications.
More from here
Biomimetics is a more formal name for the abstraction of design from nature. It is a field that involves an enormous range of scientists and has huge attractions, as recent advances have demonstrated. Professor Andrew Parker leads a research team specialising in biomimetics at the Natural History Museum in London. “Nature is multipurpose. A butterfly wing is iridiscent but it is also self-cleaning and flexible,” he says, clearly excited by the latest medical advances inspired by nature.
Flies - the new buzz in hearing aids - Scientists announced recently the development of a microphone that can pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from. This technology could be added to hearing aids, making them more efficient.
Butterflies - causing a beauty flutter - The complex 3-D structure of butterfly scales, combined with the dual layers, creates the shimmering colours of the insect's wing. Dr Ingram is working with a leading cosmetics company to see if butterfly technology can be copied or adapted to create more luminescent, sparkling eye shadows, lipsticks and foundation.
Sea cucumbers - implants - When these squishy sea creatures are threatened, their skin suddenly becomes rigid. Research suggests that this trick is achieved by chemicals secreted by the animal when in danger, which stiffen fibres embedded in their soft bodies. Material scientists from Cleveland, Ohio, have copied this, adding fine cellulose fibres to a rubbery mixture. The fibres make the mixture soft when wet, but hard when dry, potentially alleviating the damage caused by stiff electrodes.
Geckos and mussels - sticking power - One of the most interesting innovations from nature is “geckel”. It is a glue that combines the sticky powers of gecko feet, which allow the lizard to walk upside down on ceilings, with the adhesive that mussels produce to hold them fast to wet surfaces. The glue works on wet and dry surfaces and can be re-used many times.
Spiders - spinning sutures - Spider silk has strength, amazing stretch and is also, some studies seem to indicate, ignored by the human immune system, making it a perfect suture material. Biologists at the University of California made headlines last year when they isolated the gene coding for two key proteins in dragline silk. Bacteria could then be genetically engineered to produce spider silk by the mile.
We are moving beyond simply copying to using nature directly in applications.
More from here
Labels: Sciences
PermaLink - Biomimetics - Five Medical Innovations Inspired by Nature posted by Ecacofonix : 10:08 AM
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