Search Results (349)

The design of innovative biomaterials increasingly aims to reproduce the structure, properties, and behavior of natural tissues. Biomimetic materials are generally considered to promote biointegration. In bone tissue regeneration materials, biomimicry and mechanical competence represent complementary design objectives whose relative importance depends on the clinical requirements and the expected timeline of bone regeneration. In the present investigation, two types of 3D-printed PLA scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration, featuring conventional cubic and biomimetic gyroid-based triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) architectures, respectively, were evaluated. Their degradation behavior was investigated during immersion in a protein-rich cell culture medium under dynamic conditions at 37 °C, followed by mechanical characterization and analytical modeling of the property evolution. The cubic scaffolds exhibited approximately 210% higher apparent compressive modulus and more than fourfold higher apparent compressive strength compared with the gyroid scaffolds in the initial state. During 21 days of immersion, gyroid scaffolds showed progressive mass loss reaching approximately 13%, whereas cubic scaffolds exhibited a slight mass increase associated with fluid uptake. Both architectures experienced a reduction in mechanical properties; however, the gyroid structures showed faster structural deterioration due to their higher porosity, increased fluid accessibility, and greater fluid uptake and degradation-induced structural deterioration. The Residual Property Model accurately predicted the mechanical degradation of cubic scaffolds but was unable to predict the gyroid response due to the dominant contribution of mass loss and structural degradation. The overall results indicate a trade-off between the two architectural approaches, whereby enhanced biomimetic features are associated with reduced mechanical performance. Full article

The building envelope is a key lever for reducing energy demand and carbon emissions in the built environment. However, conventional envelope systems remain largely static and are unable to respond effectively to changing climatic conditions. Biomimetics has emerged as a promising approach for the development of climate-adaptive envelope solutions. Nevertheless, research in this field remains fragmented across disciplines, and its evolution and technological maturity have not yet been systematically assessed. This study proposes an integrated analytical framework combining a bibliometric analysis of 2.007 Scopus-indexed documents, based on a VOSviewer keyword co-occurrence network, with a cluster-guided state of the art review, and a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessment of selected biomimetic envelope solutions. The TRL assessment is conducted using explicit operational criteria. The analysis identifies three main research clusters: (C1) environmental-performative, focusing on energy efficiency and envelope optimisation; (C2) material-experimental, addressing biomimetic composites and innovative materials; and (C3) technological fabrication, centred on digital fabrication, smart materials, and 4D printing. Temporal trends reveal a shift after 2018 from materials science-oriented studies towards computational design and adaptive manufacturing, providing quantitative evidence of a transition previously described mainly in qualitative terms. The review highlights a strong focus on solar-shading applications, while energy harvesting and passive thermoregulation remain comparatively underexplored. The TRL assessment shows that more than 80% of the analysed solutions are concentrated at TRL 3, indicating an early stage of technological development. The main barriers include limited material durability, non-standardised production costs, and regulatory constraints. The findings suggest that future progress will depend less on the identification of new biological inspirations and more on advancing the technological maturity and industrial scalability of existing concepts. This will require integrated developments in materials, parametric design, life-cycle assessment, and regulatory frameworks. Full article

Natural landscape morphology emerges from continuous, reciprocal interactions between biological agents and their physical environment. Despite its broad application across diverse scientific fields, agent-based modeling remains underexplored in the context of non-human geomorphological change. This paper presents a bio-inspired multi-agent framework to investigate how individual animal behaviors, specifically those of the North American beaver, shape adaptive landscapes. To capture dynamic task specialization, we introduce an architecture that abstracts alternating behavioral preferences into two operational states: Explorers (focused on resource identification) and Builders (focused on localized engineering). Deployed in a dynamic environment characterized by seasonal vegetation mean-reversion and a dynamic hydrological proxy, our targeted parameter sweeps and Monte Carlo replications demonstrate that decentralized stigmergic heuristics drive emergent spatial patterns. Quantitative metric analysis across varying colony sizes shows that while smaller swarms maintain a stable ecological equilibrium, larger populations trigger an apparent non-linear expansion of the hydrological network via active bank erosion. By establishing this foundational framework, this work provides an open-source tool to further explore non-human agency and regenerative strategies in landscape architecture and environmental design. Full article

Liquid metals, particularly gallium-based alloys, uniquely combine fluidic compliance with metallic conductivity, which makes them ideal candidates for biomimetic design. Rather than treating biomimicry as the mere imitation of biological forms, we argue that liquid metal biomimicry should be understood as the realization of biological strategies through the intrinsic physics of fluidity and interfacial dynamics. This review organizes existing research within a hierarchical framework that couples physical liquidity, interface biology analogy, and functional emergence to explain how adaptive behaviors naturally arise from dynamic liquid metal systems. We examine representative systems across morphological and functional dimensions and contend that their true significance lies not in replicating nature but in addressing problems that conventional rigid materials cannot solve. Looking forward, we identify several transformative directions that collectively chart a roadmap toward truly intelligent and autonomous bioinspired systems. By bridging the physics of fluidity with the principles of biological adaptability, liquid metal biomimicry holds transformative potential for soft robotics, wearable electronics, neuromorphic computing, and biomedical engineering. Full article

Additive manufacturing delivers internal substructures that alter the mechanical performance, yet their exploitation is still limited in structural part design, to a certain degree due to the absence of comparative studies. All slicer software solutions can exchange the infill with predefined infill patterns. Often their performance properties are unknown, and engineers make choices that depend on the printing time or material use. We conduct an experimental campaign to understand infill patterns’ effect on the mechanical performance. This work is inspired by biomimicry and studies honeycomb-, gyroid-, and Archimedean chords-type infill patterns in order to determine their performance. Experimental analysis via the three-point bending test has been conducted by using samples from PolyLactic Acid (PLA) with infill densities of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100% for these infill patterns. An additional set of samples was printed with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for additional evaluation of Archimedean chords. We characterize the mechanical performance by comparing strength properties and observe that a mass-normalized flexural strength measure is meaningful when selecting an adequate infill pattern. Honeycomb showed the highest absolute flexural strength; strength per mass peaked at 90% infill. Mass reduction effected by infill density reduction fails to be linear; lowering infill down to 50% decreases mass marginally by up to 17% only. The performance of each infill pattern and comparisons between mass, strength, and print time are described to serve as a guide for designers. Full article

Coastal urban environments are increasingly exposed to natural hazards, including storm surges, tsunamis, coastal erosion, and flooding, which threaten lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. Despite their widespread use, conventional hard and soft engineering measures have often proved insufficient to address the escalating risks posed by climate change and rapid urbanisation. This study explores the potential of Nature-Inspired Solutions (NiS) as a complementary pathway to advance resilience in architecture, urban design, and planning. Unlike Nature-Based Solutions that utilise existing ecosystems directly, NiS draw design principles from both biotic and abiotic natural systems, offering innovative models for resilient settlements, coastal infrastructure, and adaptive urban planning. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes systematic and narrative reviews, semi-structured expert interviews, analysis of urban development plans, a panel discussion, and expert brainstorming, this research examines how natural coastal systems inform design interventions. Sri Lanka was selected as the primary case study context due to its exceptional coastal vulnerability, significant climate adaptation policy gaps, and status as a small island developing state representative of the coastal challenges faced by similar contexts globally. Furthermore, Sri Lanka was selected as the case study in accordance with the original research proposal submitted to the University of Huddersfield, which identified the country as a suitable context due to its significant vulnerability to coastal hazards, as outlined above. Field investigations in the Lunawa coastal area documented community-based adaptive practices emerging from multi-generational environmental observation. Analysis reveals how dune morphologies, root structures, living shorelines, and rock pool formations translate into architectural and engineering applications. Findings identify critical implementation challenges, including context-specific requirements, technical knowledge gaps, insufficient policy frameworks, limited practitioner awareness, and uncertainties about economic feasibility, as well as key enablers such as demonstrated ecological effectiveness and the potential of multifunctional infrastructure. The study demonstrates that embedding NiS into risk-informed planning and resilient urban design contributes to climate change adaptation, ecological sustainability, and inclusive governance, while highlighting persistent barriers that require strategic intervention. By bridging ecological wisdom and architectural innovation, NiS offers transformative opportunities to reimagine resilient coastal cities and communities facing escalating climate-induced hazards. Full article

Intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD) is widely recognized as a major contributor to discogenic low back pain (LBP), imposing a substantial burden on global public health and socioeconomic systems. Growing evidence confirms that disrupted redox homeostasis, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and oxidative stress act as major convergent mechanisms that propagate inflammatory cascades, nucleus pulposus cell dysfunction, and extracellular matrix degradation. Although conventional conservative therapies and surgical interventions are clinically effective in relieving macrostructural compression, they remain limited in resolving localized molecular dysregulation. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising strategy for overcoming the limitations of traditional therapy for IVDD. This review provides an analysis of four categories of antioxidant nanotherapies for IVDD, including inorganic functional nanozymes, bioactive nanomaterials, stimuli-responsive nanosystems, and nanocomposite scaffolds. We elaborate on their mechanisms in scavenging excessive ROS, restoring redox equilibrium, protecting mitochondrial function, and ameliorating oxidative stress-induced degeneration. Integrating structural biomimicry with microenvironmental responsiveness enables the engineering of composite nanosystems with multi-pathway ROS-scavenging capabilities. Therefore, these platforms emerge as promising therapeutic strategies for arresting IVDD progression. Finally, we discuss the key obstacles to clinical translation. Overall, this review provides insights into the development of redox-targeted therapies. Full article

Sustainability challenges in the built environment demand a shift in architectural education from form-based approaches toward adaptive, systems-oriented, and performance-driven thinking. This paper examines an integrated pedagogical model combining biomimicry, parametric thinking, and modular design to enhance sustainable design learning in architectural studios. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research investigates Architectural Design Studio 4 at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), where third-year students followed a three-stage discovery-based process. Students first analyzed biological systems to identify transferable principles, then translated these principles into parametric modules using computational tools such as Dynamo and Revit, and finally applied the systems to high-rise architectural design. The findings indicate that integrating biomimicry with parametric workflows encouraged optimization, adaptability, and reusable design strategies rather than fixed outcomes. Modular design approaches helped students manage architectural complexity, while computational tools supported performance-based exploration and informed decision-making. The absence of a predetermined final design fostered critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This study contributes empirical evidence to architectural education research by demonstrating that process-based, discovery-oriented studios can strengthen students’ understanding of sustainability, systems logic, and adaptability, preparing future architects for contemporary environmental and technological challenges. Full article

On the opening page of The Serviceberry (2024), Indigenous scholar Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote: “all flourishing is mutual.” Channeling biomimicry, Kimmerer asks, “Can we imagine a human economy with a currency that emulates the flow from Mother Earth—a currency of gifts?” (p. 14). I ask a parallel question regarding school–community relationships: can we imagine school and community as members of an ecology of schooling in which mutual flourishing is the aim? Schools often silo from communities, and interactions tend to be transactional, even though partnership language is invoked. Drawing on a case study of a K-6 rural school with a place-based agriculture immersion program in Alberta, Canada, I describe elements of collaboration between school and community using gift as a lens to interpret interview transcripts and field notes. Mutual flourishing was a function of (1) the school being viewed as an extension of the community; (2) the recentering of place as a participant in school–community relations; and (3) a school–community ecology grounded in shared values and goals rather than structured arrangements. The findings reframe partnerships from supplementary arrangements that schools enter into and wield to school–community connections or kinships that bind school and community into a reciprocal web of flourishing. Full article

Cystic fibrosis (CF)-associated lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) remain difficult to treat due to multidrug resistance and the redox instability of the pulmonary environment, which can impair antibiotic efficacy. In this study, we investigated alvinellacin (ALV), a disulfide-stabilized β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from the deep-sea polychaete Alvinella pompejana (A. pompejana), as a potential therapeutic agent naturally adapted to redox-fluctuating conditions. The antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of ALV were evaluated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical isolates under CF-like reducing conditions (6 mM dithiothreitol (DTT)). Circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that DTT did not alter the β-hairpin secondary structure of ALV, supporting its structural stability in CF-like environments. Mechanistic analyses included pore-forming assay, membrane interaction studies, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), lipid-binding assays, cytotoxicity testing, and resistance induction assays, while in vivo efficacy was assessed using the Galleria mellonella infection model. ALV demonstrated strong bactericidal activity that was maintained in the presence of NaCl or human serum. ALV did not induce bacterial resistance and effectively inhibited early-stage biofilm formation and disrupted preformed biofilms, including those of the clinical isolate, even under reducing conditions. The peptide showed selective permeabilization of bacterial membranes linked to its stronger affinity for bacterial membrane lipids and negligible interaction with host-like membranes, with no observed cytotoxicity. In vivo, ALV significantly improved survival in infected larvae. These findings highlight ALV as a promising redox-resilient antimicrobial candidate for treating MDR CF lung infections. Full article

Urinary cancers present a severe clinical challenge due to high recurrence rates. Standard intravesical therapies suffer from limited efficacy because of the urinary tract’s robust physiological defenses, namely, the dynamic washout effect during voiding and highly restrictive urothelial barriers, such as the anti-adhesive glycosaminoglycan layer and intercellular tight junctions. This review aims to explore how biomimetic engineering can overcome these obstacles by transitioning drug delivery from passive carriers to active, nature-inspired systems. We conducted a comprehensive review of the recent literature focusing on biomimetic strategies for intravesical drug delivery and urinary cancer theranostics. The analyzed approaches are categorized into chemical biomimicry (such as adhesion and camouflage) and structural/functional biomimicry (including adaptive devices and microrobots). Biomimetic strategies significantly enhance targeted drug retention and tissue penetration. Chemical biomimicry, utilizing mussel-inspired catechol chemistry and cell membrane camouflage, effectively bypasses the urothelial anti-adhesive defenses and reduces the immune clearance. Structural and functional biomimicry, such as naturally derived carriers and actively propelled magnetic or biohybrid microrobots, enables the precise spatial localization and controlled payload release in dynamic fluid environments. Furthermore, lab-on-a-chip technologies and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) offer scalable platforms for screening cargo-specific efficacies and tailoring treatments, providing a crucial bridge to personalized precision medicine. Integrating nature-inspired designs with advanced nanotechnologies provides a highly promising pathway with which to overcome the mechanical and biological barriers of the urinary tract. These biomimetic innovations hold the potential to shift the therapeutic paradigm for urinary oncology, paving the way for more efficient, targeted, and personalized precision medicine. Full article

Although nanomedicine has enabled significant advances in drug delivery, the clinical translation of conventional synthetic nanocarriers is limited by immune clearance, non-specific biodistribution, and gastrointestinal instability. This poses major challenges for therapy targeting the intestines. Cell membrane-coated nanotechnology (CMCT) and membrane vesicle-based systems have emerged as biomimetic platforms integrating synthetic nanomaterials with naturally derived biological interfaces. These biohybrid systems inherit biological functions originating from cells, including immune evasion, prolonged circulation, lesion homing, and microenvironment-responsive interactions, through the direct transfer of intact membrane components. This review summarizes recent advances in CMCT and membrane vesicle-based strategies for intestinal drug delivery. It covers fabrication methodologies, programmable manufacturing approaches, and functional regulation enabled by diverse membrane sources and hybrid engineering designs. Applications in inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and intestinal infections are highlighted, emphasizing key therapeutic mechanisms, such as targeting inflammation, neutralizing toxins, modulating the immune system, and regulating the microbiome. We also discuss the major challenges of translation, such as preserving membrane and coating integrity, ensuring oral stability, achieving batch reproducibility, and ensuring biosafety. Overall, this review establishes a conceptual and engineering framework to guide the transition of membrane-based nanocarriers from passive biomimicry to adaptive, clinically translatable intestinal delivery systems. Full article

The goal of the present paper is to apply a novel biomimetic design strategy for the analysis, emulation, and technical evaluation of design solutions inspired by the morphogenetic logic of the walnut shell microstructure. The shell consists of specialized cells, called sclereids, which develop protrusions and mechanically interlock with neighboring cells, providing exceptional toughness through increased surface contact. To extract and transfer this biological principle, a generative algorithm was developed using the evolutionary solver Galapagos within the Grasshopper visual programming environment. The algorithm generates protrusions on the interfaces of structural blocks and optimizes their contact surface area while maintaining constant block volume. Additional design constraints, including symmetry and manufacturability considerations, were introduced to improve structural performance and computational efficiency. A series of physical specimens with variations in key geometric parameters, such as protrusion number and height, were fabricated using fused filament fabrication (FFF) with PLA material and evaluated through in-plane and out-of-plane three-point bending tests. The results show that increasing the number of protrusions significantly enhances mechanical performance, while increasing their height improves stiffness and interlocking up to a certain threshold, beyond which structural performance decreases due to stress concentration effects. This behavior can be attributed to improved load transfer and stress distribution across the enlarged interfacial area, as well as progressive mechanical engagement between complementary protrusions. The computational model is in good agreement with the experimental results, confirming the validity of the proposed approach. The study demonstrates that biomimetic optimization of interfacial geometry can enhance the mechanical behavior of interlocking systems and provides a framework for translating biological morphogenetic principles into engineering design applications. Full article

Compliant mechanisms have contributed to many advances in soft robotics, and there is strong motivation to translate these ideas to assistive devices where adaptive motion at the human interface is required. This work presents novel reconfigurable compliant joints (RCJs) as a parameterized joint element for functional biomimicry in lower-extremity joints for prosthetic knees and ankle–foot orthoses, with concepts that extend to other limb joints. The RCJ uses a rigid hub and outer ring joined by an array of flexible links with centerlines defined by cubic Bézier curves. Link shapes are organized into four Bézier classes (A–D), with base types using 10, 12, or 14 uniformly distributed link slots and variants generated by modifying active-link count and distribution, forming a structured morphology space of 12 configurations for machine design. Dual-extrusion 3D-printed prototypes are characterized by a custom testing apparatus using a 2.2 kN load cell at 25 mm/s over a 0–90° rotation range across six recorded load cycles to measure torque–angle curves and stiffness under large deformations. Angle-dependent stiffness is evaluated over three fixed intervals (0–30°, 30–60°, and 60–90°) to quantify multi-stage behavior. A 2-dimensional corotational frame model and a Simscape Multibody model, including a rolling-contact knee configuration, use the same parameterization to relate geometry, nonlinear mechanics, and system-level motion. Experiments and simulations show multi-stage torque–angle profiles and predictable stiffness modulation across all configurations, with both magnitude and transition angle tunable through Bézier class and active-link distribution, positioning the RCJ as a CAD/CAE-compatible joint architecture for assistive devices or wearable robotic systems and a basis for advancing functional biomimicry in compliant mechanism design. Full article

This study explores the potential of biomimetic reasoning to inform early-stage design thinking, with a focus on enhancing the consideration of material utilization and textile waste. While sustainability efforts within the field of textiles are often focused on recycling and end-of-life management strategies, it is important to recognize that a substantial proportion of final waste-related outcomes are determined during the conceptual design stage and the initial prototyping iterations. This study investigates the potential of organizational principles derived from natural systems to inform the definition of problems, the generation of ideas, and early conceptual prototyping. This is achieved by the introduction of ecological constraints and material life-cycle awareness in conjunction with user-centered requirements. To address the conceptual gap between biological forms and manufacturing, biomimicry is approached as a mode of systemic reasoning, utilizing topological skeletonization as a tool for logic extraction rather than formal imitation, with emphasis placed on continuity, modularity, and adaptive organization. This computational proof-of-concept employs a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) framework, utilizing biological venation as a topological guide to demonstrate how distinct organizational logics influence pattern configuration while incorporating manufacturing-inspired constraints (such as path continuity and density) as optimization penalties. The findings are exploratory in nature and are confined to the computational domain; while the study utilizes proxy indicators to simulate potential textile behaviors, it acknowledges the lack of direct experimental validation of physical fabrication as a current limitation. By framing waste as an outcome of upstream design choices, this paper contributes a methodological perspective. This perspective places biomimetic design thinking as a reflective tool within sustainable and regenerative design practice. It also supports earlier engagement with ecological considerations in textile development. Full article