Biomimetic

Researchers regenerated damaged bone in mice by creating a scaffold that combines a piezoelectric framework and the growth-promoting properties of a naturally occurring mineral. The novel “bone bandage” has wide-ranging potential applications.

Avoiding eating your favorite ice cream because you don’t want to experience the pain caused by sensitive teeth may soon be a thing of the past, with researchers offering a. long-term fix by developing a novel way of rebuilding lost tooth minerals.

Inspired by the wings of dragonflies and cicadas, researchers have developed a new coating for orthopedic implants. It not only shreds harmful bacteria, but also monitors stress on the system, meaning it could warn of impending implant failure.

Italian researchers have created a novel 4D-printed biodegradable 'seed robot' that changes shape in response to changes in humidity and can navigate through the soil. The device has great potential as a new way of monitoring the environment.

Scientists in Australia have developed a jelly-like material with many of the properties of living tissue. A form of a hydrogel, it is self-healing, very strong and can change its shape – allowing it to mimic skin, ligaments, and bone.

Scientists have developed a germ-repelling synthetic polymer inspired by the antibacterial powers of insect wings, which they say could form the basis of resilient new types of eye implants.

Among the mechanical components not found in nature is the spur gear. That is, until now. Zoologists at Cambridge have found gear-like linkages between the two jumping legs of a species of juvenile leaf-hopper. These gears help synchronize the legs during a jump.

Seoul National University’s Multiscale Biomimetic Systems Laboratory has developed a new biomimetic “electronic skin” that is inexpensive, yet sensitive enough to “feel” a drop of water.

Korean scientists have been able to replicate the reflective qualities of butterfly wings, using tiny glass beads.

Researchers have created a circuit that mimics the function of a synapse in the human brain, that could someday be used in the creation of a synthetic brain.

British scientists are studying sharks' sense of smell, with an eye toward advances in human technology.