AI system can generate novel proteins that meet structural design targets
These tunable proteins could be used to create new materials with specific mechanical properties, like toughness or flexibility.
Scientists uncover the amazing way sandgrouse hold water in their feathers
The structure of the desert birds’ belly feathers enables males to carry water over long distances to their chicks.
Robotic hand can identify objects with just one grasp
The three-fingered robotic gripper can “feel” with great sensitivity along the full length of each finger – not just at the tips.
Fiber “barcodes” can make clothing labels that last
Drawing inspiration from butterfly wings, reflective fibers woven into clothing could reshape textile sorting and recycling.
Exploring the nanoworld of biogenic gems
Project will develop new materials characterization tools and technologies to assign unique identifiers to individual pearls.
Resilient bug-sized robots keep flying even after wing damage
New repair techniques enable microscale robots to recover flight performance after suffering severe damage to the artificial muscles that power their wings.
Wiggling toward bio-inspired machine intelligence
Inspired by jellyfish and octopuses, PhD candidate Juncal Arbelaiz investigates the theoretical underpinnings that will enable systems to more efficiently adapt to their environments.
Researchers create the first artificial vision system for both land and water
Inspired by a fiddler crab eye, scientists developed an amphibious artificial vision system with a panoramic visual field.
Engineers repurpose 19th-century photography technique to make stretchy, color-changing films
The technique opens a door to manufacturing of pressure-monitoring bandages, shade-shifting fabrics, or touch-sensing robots.
Silk offers an alternative to some microplastics
Researchers have developed a biodegradable system based on silk to replace microplastics added to agricultural products, paints, and cosmetics.
Better living through multicellular life cycles
Researchers reveal how an algae-eating bacterium solves an environmental engineering challenge.
Robotic lightning bugs take flight
Inspired by fireflies, researchers create insect-scale robots that can emit light when they fly, which enables motion tracking and communication.
New plant-derived composite is tough as bone and hard as aluminum
The material could pave the way for sustainable plastics.
Peeking into a chrysalis, videos reveal growth of butterfly wing scales
The findings could inform the design of new materials such as iridescent windows or waterproof textiles.
Bio-inspired, blood-repelling tissue glue could seal wounds quickly
A new adhesive that mimics the sticky substance barnacles use to cling to rocks may offer a better way to treat traumatic injuries.