Nature provides inspiration for designing materials and systems which derive their functions from highly organized structures. Biological hard tissues are hybrid materials having both inorganics within a complex organic matrix, the molecular scaffold controlling inorganic structures. Biocomposites incorporate both biomacromolecules such as proteins, lipids and polysaccharides, and inorganic materials, such as hydroxyapatite, silica, magnetite, and calcite.
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Proteins are ubiquitous biopolymers which adopt distinct three-dimensional structures and fulfil a multitude of elementary functions in organisms. Recent systematic studies in molecular biology and biotechnology have improved the understanding of basic functional and architectural principles of proteins, making them attractive candidates as concept generators for technological development in material science, in particular in biomedicine and nano(bio)technology.
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The cuticles of plants provide a multifunctional interface between the plants and their environments. The cuticle, with its associated waxes, is a protective layer which minimizes water loss by transpiration and provides several functions, such as hydrophobicity, light reflection and absorption of harmful radiation.
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A new study published as the cover article for the April 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal promises to give physicians new ways to reduce deadly responses to viral infections of the brain and spinal cord. In the report, scientists from Columbia University, NY, detail for the first time the chemical processes that star-shaped nerve cells, called astrocytes, use to handle invading viruses and to summon other immune cells to cause life-threatening inflammation.
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The wheat curl mite is a minute menace that wreaks havoc on the region’s wheat crop; but it has no enemies currently that can take it out. That doesn’t mean Texas AgriLife Research scientists aren’t trying to find ways to curb its appetite. Three AgriLife Research scientists, working under Dr. Charlie Rush in plant pathology and Dr.
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Man-made engineering materials generally demonstrate excellent mechanical properties, which often far exceed those of natural materials. However, all such engineering materials lack the ability of self healing, i.e. the ability to remove or neutralise microcracks without (much) intentional human interaction. This inability is the unintentional consequence of the damage prevention paradigm underlying all current engineering material optimisation strategies.
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Solar thermal collectors used at present consist of rigid and heavy materials, which is the reason for their immobility. Based on the solar function of the polar bear fur and skin new collector systems are in development, which are flexible and mobile. The developed transparent heat insulation material consists of a spacer textile based on translucent polymer fibres coated with transparent silicone rubber.
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Superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit extreme water-repellent properties. These surfaces with high contact angle and low contact angle hysteresis also exhibit a self-cleaning effect and low drag for fluid flow. Certain plant leaves, such as Lotus leaves, are known to be superhydrophobic and self-cleaning due to the hierarchical roughness of their leaf surfaces. The self-cleaning phenomenon is widely known as the “Lotus effect.
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Witnesses and lawmakers at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection hearing on Tuesday debated the merits of a bill (
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Medical associations should refuse general budgetary support from the health care industry, according to an article by a group of leading doctors and researchers published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Wall Street Journal reports. Authors of the article included past presidents of
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