Secret feather flaps help a falcon control its dive
Falcons use the positioning of their wings to achieve higher and higher speeds, first creating a diamond shape, then assuming a tight vertical tuck and finally completely folding the wings tightly against its body. Because the bird in this experiment was diving from a relatively low height, it only reached the […]
We know the brain does beautiful things while we are sleeping. Sleep is important for consolidating learning, storing memories, finding creative solutions to problems and processing emotional issues. Recently, scientists have added to its list of heroics and the findings and what they have discovered is fascinating.
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A new design for eye and brain implants draws its inspiration from nature. UO researchers have grown rodent retinal neurons on a fractal-patterned electrode, one that mimics the repeating branching pattern in which neurons naturally grow. It’s a step closer to making a bio-inspired bionic eye, a longstanding goal for UO […]
A study conducted by Bio Researchers Halvor T. Tramsen, Stanislav N. Gorb, Hao Zhang, Poramate Manoonpong, Zhendong Dai and Lars Heepe in 2018 takes inspiration from bio inspired sawtooth structured surfaces and provides a potential method of modifying the surface friction of present materials. This surface friction modification can be achieved […]
Paper, How Hoverflies Compute Interception Courses
With an internalized conception of its own speed, the hoverfly is able to calibrate itself to intercept targets in motion. This mechanism is typically used for mating, in which the male tracks and intercepts the female. It is able to calculate the flight path of the object in motion based on […]
An enzyme variant created by engineers and scientists can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days.
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Honey bees live in colonies of thousands of individuals, that not only need to collaborate with each other but also to interact intensively with their ecosystem. A small group of robots operating in a honey bee colony and interacting with the queen bee, a central colony element, has the potential to […]
In nature, barnacles and bacterial biofilms utilize self-assembly amyloid to achieve strong and robust interface adhesion. However, there is still a lack of sufficient research on the construction of macroscopic adhesives based on amyloid-like nanostructures through reasonable molecular design. Here, we report a genetically programmed self-assembly living-cell bioadhesive inspired by barnacle and curli system. Firstly, […]
An enzyme variant created by engineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days. This discovery, published today in Nature, could help solve one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems: what to do with […]
Internship: The EVERY Company, San Francisco
The EVERY Company, based in South San Francisco, is a leading VC-backed food tech ingredient company using precision fermentation to create animal proteins without the animal for the global food and beverage industry. Originally founded as Clara Foods in 2014, EVERY™ rebranded in 2021 to better convey its vision to bring […]
Paper, Paradigms for biologically inspired design
Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of well proven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspire product innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical […]
Science-Palooza
Science at Cal and The Lawrence Hall of Science are hosting a full-blown SCIENCE-PALOOZA on the beautiful and spacious outdoor plaza of The Lawrence overlooking the Bay. This event will showcase over 15 interactive and engaging STEM activities from UC Berkeley departments, student groups, scientists, artists, designers, and our partners. Come […]
A study conducted in 23 March 2022 by bio researchers Ryan A. Palmer, Isaac V. Chenchiah and Daniel Robert reveal the complex mechanism of electrically sensitive mechanoreceptive hair arrays on arthropods. It was found that many arthropods use the electrostatic interaction between their electrically charged sensory hairs and electrical fields in […]
Paper, Whale Bone Density & Composition Analysis
Ancient human-whale relationships are difficult to study because, counterintuitively, whales have been virtually invisible in the archaeological record despite the immense quantities of valuable products they provide. In this review, we explain the reasons for this invisibility, and we also show how an interdisciplinary approach combining archaeological and ethnographic studies with […]
Features of owl wings that promote silent flight
The large wings of these birds, resulting in low wing loading and a low aspect ratio, contribute to noise reduction by allowing slow flight. The serrations on the leading edge of the wing and the velvet-like surface have an effect on noise reduction and also lead to an improvement of aerodynamic […]
High-voltage catfish immune to their own shocks
Malapterurus beniensis may look like a harmless catfish lounging on the bottom of a tank, but these creatures are far from benign. Packing a powerful 300 V electric shock, the fish usually reserve their pyrotechnics for stunning prey. ‘We always wear thick rubber gloves when handling the fish’, chuckles Stefan Schuster from the University of Bayreuth, […]
Functional surfaces have proven their potential to solve many engineering problems, attracting great interest among the scientific community. Bio-inspired multi-hierarchical micro-structures grant the surfaces with new properties, such as hydrophobicity, adhesion, unique optical properties and so on. The geometry and fabrication of these surfaces are still under research. In this study, the feasibility of using […]
Nipple reconstruction is the last stage in the cosmetic reconstruction of the breast after mastectomy, but no method produces reliable and consistent aesthetic results. This study examined the use of the Biodesign Nipple Reconstruction Cylinder (NRC) during the reconstruction of the nipple after mastectomy.
Patients with a history of breast […]
The venom of C. rolani is a prime example of evolution at work. One sting from the snail is enough to incapacitate a small fish. And, because the fish is already unresponsive when consumed, C. rolani does not have to risk an injurious struggle with its prey. Over millions of years, […]
Genetic basis of color diversity in coral reefs discovered
Scientists have discovered the genetic basis which allows corals to produce their stunning range of colors. They have found that instead of using a single gene to control pigment production, corals use multiple copies of the same gene. Depending on how many genes are active, the corals will become more or […]
Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Ling Li is studying the knobby sea star to discover the key to creating strong, lightweight materials. The sea star has a internal lattice structure which is highly organized, which is different from previous model organisms. This porous lattice structure helps make the sea star lightweight but […]
Currently there are many designs that are modeled after marine animals. For example, wind turbines are modeled after the fins of whales when they swim. Little is known about the jellyfish’s movement, however. This paper explores the science behind the swimming mechanism of a jellyfish. The researchers […]
Researchers have recently discovered frog skin peptides which have been shown to stimulate the release of Insulin for “in vitro” and “in vivo.” The recent discovery shows the potential to possibly treat for people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. The frog skin produces 5 different types of peptides which have shown […]
Researchers in NUI Galway have shown, for the first time, that smaller species of scorpions, with smaller pincers, have more potent venoms compared to larger species with robust claws.
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Shells are essential for hermit crabs since if not eaten first, they would roast in the Sun without them. However, these little animals always outgrow their shells, which forces them to constantly search for new ones. When a hermit crab sees a new shell, it will size it up to make […]
Scientists from China have recently developed a small four-legged robot—modeled on a rat—that can perform multiple motions in narrow spaces.
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Albert’s Lyrebirds are part of the lineage of songbirds but are one of the shyest species. Albert’s Lyrebirds can mimic sounds. However, what’s special about the Albert’s Lyrebird males’ sound mimicry is that they repeat the sounds in a certain sequence that shows the contrasting calls, and all males around the […]
In response to the changing environment, chameleons can adjust their skin colors to communicate and create disguise during locomotions. By mimicking their behaviors, we present structural-color actuators that can sense the environment and give responses of non-fatigued vivid color alterations and programmable shape transformations. Due to the sensitive vapochromic and robust vapomechanical response properties, these […]
Inspired by spider webs, MIT researchers have devised a new adhesive double-sided tape that could replace sutures in surgery.
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News, Bacterial soundtracks revealed by graphene membrane
Have you ever wondered if bacteria make distinctive sounds? If we could listen to bacteria, we would be able to know whether they are alive or not. When bacteria are killed using an antibiotic, those sounds would stop – unless of course the bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic. This is […]
Airway management is a priority to any caregiver in a trauma scenario. The current clinical gold standard for airway securement is endotracheal intubation (ETI), which involves placement of an endotracheal tube into patient tracheas and pneumatically expanding a cuff for securement. Incorrect performance of this delicate and complex procedure poses significant […]
The squamates (lizards and snakes) comprise a diverse group of reptiles, with more than 10,000 described species that display extensive variation in a number of important biological traits, including coloration. In this manuscript, we used quantitative genetics and genomics to map the mutation underlying white coloration in […]
Although the role of extracellular Ca2+ draws increasing attention as a messenger in intercellular communications, there is currently no tool available for imaging Ca2+ dynamics in extracellular regions. Here we report the first solid-state fluorescent Ca2+ sensor that fulfills the essential requirements for realizing extracellular Ca2+ imaging. Inspired by natural extracellular […]
New rules for access and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge have been established by the Nagoya Protocol but have not kept up with rapid scientific and technological advances in biodiscovery. This suggests the need for innovative, transdisciplinary approaches to regulate ABS and emerging technologies.
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Energy Conservation Through Shark Research
Sharks have many biological features that can be used and implemented to create real-world solutions. One of them is their skin, which has friction forces that can help with mobile vehicles’ drag reduction forces, and reduce friction in certain fabrics. As the passage says, “The project findings […]
Through a localized nanocrystallization process using surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT), a new method is proposed to build bistable and multistable metallic shells.
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Old skins cells reprogrammed to regain youthful function
Scientists have developed a new technique for rejuvenating skin cells. This technique has allowed researchers to rewind the cellular biological clock by around 30 years according to molecular measures, significantly longer than previous reprogramming methods. The partially rejuvenated cells showed signs of behaving more like youthful cells in experiments simulating a […]
Ocean water samples yield treasure trove of RNA virus data
Ocean water samples collected around the world have yielded a treasure trove of new data about RNA viruses, expanding ecological research possibilities and reshaping our understanding of how these small but significant submicroscopic particles evolved.
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Peptide-mediated interactions play very important roles in cellular processes. Recent years have seen much activity in the discovery of new bioactive peptides, and interactions mediated by protein–peptide binding events. At the same time, computational approaches continue to be developed that allow protein–peptide interactions to be discovered with great accuracy. There are […]
“Bioinspired electronic whisker (e-whisker) arrays fabricated using pencil on paper are demonstrated for adaptive tactile sensing. The pencil-drawn e-whisker arrays with superior strain sensitivity, fast response (50 ms) and high durability/stability enable to monitor strains, build 3D spatial maps and detailed reconstruct objects’ […]
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I imagine that the neurological circuits underlying these processes are governed by both 2d spacing maps with their brains as…
to reduce the impact of car accidents, it may be possible to study the force diverting physics of cockroaches to…
you see this type of head-bobbing stability in many avian creatures related to pigeons like chickens. the head ability to…
not like they taught horses how to run! this is an example of convergent evolution where both sea creatures and…
The brain functions in a similar way with neuronal connections. our brains are able to utilize the multiplicity of connections…