We’ve seen how nature has inspired innovation (see Natural inspiration, Natural inspiration 2, Natural inspiration 3, and Natural inspiration 4). Here are a few more examples.
Peacock feathers inspire ‘green’ dye
The dyes used to colour our clothes are polluting the environment.
Dyes and pigments are chemical colours, but the colour on peacock feathers, butterfly wings, and opals are structural or physical colours, resulting from light-modifying micro-and nanostructures. Researchers have developed a simple, two-step process to transfer such physical colours to voile textiles.
The structural “dye” is produced from 3D colloidal crystals, which do not create a stream of waste. It includes polystyrene nanoparticles for colour, polyacrylate for mechanical stability, carbon black to enhance colour saturation, and water.
Tests have shown that this method could produce the full spectrum of colours, which remain bright even after washing.
Sources
American Chemical Society. (2017, February 1). Peacock colors inspire ‘greener ‘way to dye clothes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 3, 2017, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170201110550.htm.
Meng, Y., Tang, B., Ju, B., Wu, S., & Zhang, S. (2017). Multiple colors output on voile through 3D colloidal crystals with robust mechanical properties. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 9(3). 3024. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14819.
Hear like a parasitic fly
While most flies don’t hear at all, a parasitic fly has inspired a better hearing aid. The Ormia ochracea fly uses sound pressure to determine with great accuracy the location of crickets (in which they lay their eggs). By studying this fly, scientists have developed a tiny microphone that perceives sound pressure. The microphone pivots in the direction of the sound to amplify it without increasing other, background, noises.
Source
Spanne, A. (2015, June 18). 5 Cool tech innovations “bioinspired” by animals. Mental Floss. Retrieved July 3, 2017, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/65181/5-cool-tech-innovations-bioinspired-animals.
Imaging technique inspired by the sewing machine
An imaging tool inspired by the sewing machine is providing fresh insight into the origins of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
These diseases are thought to be caused by tiny toxic proteins made from amyloid-Β, called ‘oligomers’, which are too small to be studied with traditional optical microscopy. Optical microscopy does not provide enough resolution at this scale, and electron microscopy gives the resolution, but not the contrast.
Physicist Dr Oleg Kolosov and his team at Lancaster University have developed a new imaging technique inspired by the motion of a sewing machine that results in a better quality, high contrast nanometre scale resolution image. According to Dr Kolosov, the technique—ultrasonic force microscopy (UMF)—uses a vibrating scanner, which moves quickly up and down like the foot of a sewing machine needle, reducing the friction between the sample and the scanner.
The researchers hope this technique would provide a clearer understanding of the early phases of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, potentially offering a way to develop a treatment for the diseases.
Sources
Lancaster University. (2014, April 1). 'Sewing machine' idea gives insight into origins of Alzheimer's. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 23, 2017, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140401122336.htm.
Tinker-Mill, C., Mayes, J., Allsop, D., & Kolosov, O.V. (2014). Ultrasonic force microscopy for nanomechanical characterization of early and late stage amyloid-Β peptide aggregation. Scientific Reports, 4. DOI: 10.1038/srep04004
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Images:
Peacock feather from the American Chemical Society
A gravid female ormia ochracea resting on a fingernail from Wikipedia
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