Living organisms expand and contract soft tissues to achieve complex, 3-D movements and functions, but replicating those movements with man-made materials has proven challenging.
Thanks to special adhesive elements on their feet, geckos, spiders and beetles can easily run along ceilings or walls. The science of bionics has attempted to imitate and control such bio-inspired abilities for technological ...
With threats of sea level rise, storm surge and other natural disasters, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science are turning to nature to protect humans from nature. They ...
In the world of materials, rigidity and elasticity are usually on opposite ends of the continuum. Typically, the more elastic a material, the less able it is to bear loads and resist forces. The more rigid it is, the more ...
Nature has provided the inspiration for the design and fabrication of high-performance biomimetic engineering materials. Wood, which has been used for thousands of years, has received considerable attention due to the low ...
A range of creatures, including chameleons, octopuses and frogs, can change color in response to changes in the environment. Some insights into the mechanisms behind this at the anatomical, cellular and molecular levels have ...
Sharks are often the subject of TV specials or news stories focusing on their attacks on humans. But scientists are finding that sharks could inspire a new type of surface that would attack bacteria, helping humans instead ...
To fight cancer, researchers increasingly use vaccines that stimulate the immune system to identify and destroy tumour cells. However, the desired immune response is is not always guaranteed. In order to strengthen the efficacy ...
Cellulose is one of the most abundant and broadly distributed organic compounds and industrial by-products on Earth. Yet, despite decades of extensive research, the bottom-up use of cellulose to fabricate 3-D objects is still ...
Fabrics made from silkworm fibers have long been treasured for their beautiful luster and refreshing coolness. Columbia Engineering researchers have discovered that fibers produced by the caterpillars of a wild silk moth, ...
