Biomimicry

1. plants

1.1. "Humans living in this area do precisely the same with Aspilia leaves (which taste far too unpleasant to chew, anyway), as they are effective in killing harmful bacteria and fungi because they contain thiarubine A, a powerful antibiotic. They also rid the intestinal tract of parasitic nematodes. In addition, scientists believe that these leaves act as a stimulant for the chimps, since they tend to eat them first thing in the morning, just as humans often drink coffee or tea shortly after waking to benefit from the stimulating effect of caffeine…Another herbal remedy employed by Tanzanian chimps is the bitter-tasting pith of the aptly named bitterleaf shrub (Vernonia amygdalina). This is popularly used by native tribes to counter both parasites and stomach pains, and has been proven to help the recovery of sick chimps." (Shuker 2001:214) (So from this passage, we can see plants help animals or humans fight the bad bacterias.)

1.2. Easy absorption of pharmaceuticals, nutrients, vitamins, etc. Understanding the environments in which these plants open their stomata may provide insight to how nutrients can be absorbed under less than ideal conditions. In addition, the process through which these nutrients become liquefied and bind to water may be useful in bettering the delivery of small molecules within the body.

1.3. "To find water, a plant has to position its roots with just as much precision as it arranges its leaves. If moisture is in very short supply, then a plant may have to drive a tap root deep into the ground to reach the water table. Some desert plants have had to develop root systems that are far deeper than they are tall and extend laterally a very long way beyond the furthest extent of their foliage. Even if the environment is well-watered, a plant may still need to compete with others for this essential commodity, so it positions a network of roots within a few inches of the soil surface, where it can gather the rain water before others can." (Attenborough 1995:48-51)

2. created

2.1. The founders of Biomatrica®, Rolf Muller and Judy Muller-Cohn, got their inspiration when visiting a toy store. They noticed sea monkeys, which are really brine shrimp that are in a dried state but come back to life when rehydrated. After research into the strategy used by brine shrimp, resurrection fern (spikemoss family), tardigrades, and other organisms, they created a thermostable, dissolvable glass that packages every single molecule in a sample. Rather than using the molecule trehalose, they created a molecule that performs the same function. (They found nature things and they created a thermostable, so if they didn't get the inspiration from the toy store then they wouldn't created things.)

2.2. Luritek's patented paint, Eco-Clad®, protects boat hulls from unwanted marine fouling species. When a hull protected with Eco-Clad® is introduced to fresh or salt water, a biofilm of local and naturally occurring microorganisms forms. This biofilm provides a variety of functional benefits, including the production of natural repellents for unwanted marine fouling species.

2.3. In order to emulate how nature grows materials, Angela Belcher and associates have studied how certain viruses self assemble. In some of their projects they have engineered viruses to recognize material components of batteries and self assemble these components at room temperature into viable batteries. Others are self assembling materials with conductive or photoreactive properties. By exploring the self assembling toolkit of phage viruses the researchers have developed novel ways of manufacturing nano-scale batteries.

3. humans

3.1. In some materials, such as metal, stress lines are usually invisible; but in others, including bone, they are often quite easy to see. Some parts of bone are composed of a spongy mesh of very fine strands called trabeculae. In a cross-section of bone the trabeculae can be seen to be orientated to the lines of stress. Where they are most closely packed together, the stress is greatest. It was a section of the top of a human thigh bone that inspired Professor Culmann, a Swiss engineer, to design in 1866, a new crane: he realized that the lines of stress shown by the trabeculae constituted a diagram of how his crane should be designed to cope with similar stress (diagram c)." (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982:35) (In this case, we know that the Swiss engineer's inspiration came from our human, and then he made the new crane.)

3.2. "Tooth decay begins when acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves the mineral in the teeth, causing microscopic holes or 'pores' to form. As the decay process progresses these micro-pores increase in size and number. Eventually the damaged tooth may have to be drilled and filled to prevent toothache, or even removed...It's a vicious cycle, but one that can be broken, according to researchers at the University of Leeds who have developed a revolutionary new way to treat the first signs of tooth decay. Their solution is to arm dentists with a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the tooth's surface. The peptide technology is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place and stimulates regeneration of the tooth defect.'This may sound too good to be true, but we are essentially helping acid-damaged teeth to regenerate themselves...,' said Professor Jennifer Kirkham" (University of Leeds 2011:1)

4. energy

4.1. Similar to the roots of a tree, capillary tubes carry water up a few centimeters. They then create droplets by recombining those tubes so the meniscus' touch. This is derived from reverse-engineering how water gets into a coconut.

4.2. The use of elastic recoil of tendons is also found in many other large animals that run (such as horses and turkeys) but to a much less dramatic extent in terms of energy savings as that observed in kangaroos and wallabies with their huge hind limbs and hind limb tendons. The general strategy of elastic energy storage as a means of increasing locomotor energy efficiency is also observed in a variety of swimming animals from squid to dolphins..The use of elastic energy storage could be considered in the human design of all sorts of moving structures to increase energy efficiency. "Spring loaded locomotion" has been used in the design of the pogo stick and some prosthetic legs.