Fire ants burn through conventional skin treatments
Analogs of solenopsin compounds found in fire ant venom appear to be promising candidates for effective treatments against the skin thickening and inflammatory effects of psoriasis and conventional treatments, according to this Phys.org article. Once again, close observation of nature’s strategies reveals innovative technologies that solve long-standing challenges.
Curated by Mark Dorfman
Harness the fungi or borrow their recipe?
While currently being researched by material scientist Ning Zhang at Rutgers University as bio-utilization technique for shoring up aging concrete infrastructure (read more in this MIT Technology Review article), discovering the mechanism behind which the fungi, Trichoderma reesei, fosters calcium carbonate precipitation could yield even greater benefits. Learning the recipe means we don’t have to worry about altering the concrete to create conditions to keep the fungal spores intact, but rather could ideally develop technologies that serve the same function.
Curated by Dayna Baumeister
Free biomimicry webinar: Leveraging Nature's Genius in Design
Synapse contributor Erin Rovalo will present a free webinar on October 12. “Biomimicry: Leveraging Nature’s Genius in Design,” hosted by GreenCE, will explore biomimicry, how various industries have used it for innovative solutions, and help participants learn strategies to incorporate biomimicry thinking into their work. The webinar provides AIA and GBCI credit.
Curated by Jenna Cederberg
Slug slime does more than glide
David Mooney, professor of bioengineering at Harvard, and his team have unlocked the recipe that makes slug slime so adhesive, according to this Reuters article. In addition to the strong bonds on wet surfaces, its also very flexible, making it particularly robust in dynamic environments. Medical applications are first, but there are a variety of manufacturing scenarios (wet and dynamic) where this strong, flexible adhesive could prove quite valuable.
Curated by Dayna Baumeister
Desalination breakthrough beats cell efficiency
Nature-inspired innovation is being praised for helping researchers at create a new filter that can rapidly desalinate water, according to this Chemistry World article. Modeled after proteins found in cells that filter water while rejecting salt, this new carbon nanotube (CNT) is more efficient than other tubes that have been created so far.
Curated by Janine Benyus
Sending complex signals through scent
Scent in the natural world carries much more information than just “good” or “bad.” Scientists recently discovered that fruit fly males determine which potential mates are carrying the most robust eggs based on insulin-related signals in the female’s pheromones, according to this Science Daily article. Utilizing scent to convey complex information holds enormous potential for multiple commercial sectors.
Curated by Mark DorfmanTry Out Synapse for Free
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