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Circular economy is the norm in nature: all products are 100% recycled and recyclable. Waste does not exist at the level of natural ecosystems, as the metabolic waste of one living being is the food of another. This can inspire us to transform our production methods towards a circular economy. Zero waste, the basis for nature It is often easier, for a company selling a product, not to worry about what happens to waste along the production chain. Yet everything can be put to good use, that's what nature and circular economy do. In ecology, the concept of biocenosis brings together living beings, their organizations and their interactions in a given ecological space. These systems are extremely complex, each species interacting with a large number of living beings in its environment, from bacteria and fungi to trees. A forest is much more than the sum of its inhabitants. This explains why it is very rare that the introduction of a species into a new environment goes well, the complexity of the biocenoses making them almost impossible to apprehend in their entirety. The added species usually ends with either becoming invasive, and lead to the reduction or disappearance of other native species, either by not adapt and disappear from the environment. The subtle balances of biocenoses are the result of long periods of experimentation and evolution, and we humans have little chance of succeeding in creating such complex and self-sufficient systems in a few decades. What we can do, however, by biomimicry is to draw inspiration from methods that have been selected and work on the long term to design our own production systems. The zero waste aspect is crucial in the circular economy because producing elements that are not recycled by other members of the ecosystem is the certainty of an increasingly unstable system. Nature knows how to produce materials with remarkable physical properties, which are also recyclable. In forests, wood is recycled by fungi that have specialized enzymes capable of breaking down their long carbon chains . If the principle of forest ecosystems can be an inspiration in itself for designing industrial networks, the concrete methods employed are also powerful tools that we can put to good use. Lignin, which gives wood its strength, is made up of long carbon chains, which is also the case... for plastic! Some mushrooms are thus capable of degrade plastic into edible material with low energy cost. Aiming for a circular economy, aiming to produce nothing that cannot be recycled at the end of its life, and recycling as much as possible are therefore lessons that can be learned from nature to create a sustainable society. The circular economy, to get out of the linear economy paradigm Linear production, as it is mainly conceived and practiced today, draws on stocks that are non-renewable or do not renew quickly enough and produce waste that is neither dealt with by the economy, nor by the ecosystems. This mode of production is not sustainable, and does not exist in nature. The circular economy aims to create interconnected production networks at all levels, closer to ecosystems to replace the model of production chains with a single output. To design such systems, it is necessary to think of the industry as a whole to identify environmental flows and impacts, and to encourage collaboration between economic actors. Four strategies can be identified to move towards this ideal of a circular economy. Manage waste in closed loops This is our first strategy to aim for the circular economy. Nothing should come out of industries that are of no use to other actors. This goes through the recycling and recovery of co-products, points on which biomimicry can bring a lot of ideas to help recycle materials, enhance the flow of energy and materials from different actors, and to create eco-industrial systems. These initiatives, like the ones below, simultaneously improve the profitability of the activity and reduce its environmental footprint. One way to ensure that you produce recoverable waste is to go through bio-production, which uses the chemistry of life to create materials rather than methods based on petrochemistry, for example. We can thus create non-polluting and biocompatible alternatives. We can cite the work of researchers from the Institut Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand and IRSTEA who have developed a glue from shrimp and mushroom shells that uses agro waste-food and is itself biodegradable. Decrease losses It is often said in the field of sustainable development that the best waste is the one that has never been produced. Eco-design, one of the pillars of the circular economy, aims to reduce the need for materials and particularly non-renewable materials, as well as the waste emitted throughout the life of the product. In nature, we are advantaged if we only need resources that are easily and abundantly available. Similarly, being able to survive with little material intake makes it possible to withstand periods of scarcity. Nature is an expert in lightweight design: natural elements have every interest in limiting their mass, as resources are limited, and excessive mass hinders mobility. Woodpeckers, for example, have a skull that is very resistant to shocks, which allows them to dig into the wood with their beaks. This inspired helmets lighter that can absorb three times more energy on impact than conventional ones. Biomimicry is a powerful tool for eco-design, and very elegant design solutions abound in nature. Energy sobriety In living things, energy is the sinews of war. Trees are jostling to capture solar radiation first, animals are fighting for access to food. Among different bacteria that find an abundant source of food, the one that by its metabolism will be able, all other things being equal, to multiply with fewer nutrients, will see its population grow much faster than the others, and will end up suffocating its competitors. Generally, a specie that, in the same environment, needs more food to perform the same functions as another specie, has a disqualifying disadvantage in nature. The colossal stock of energy that humanity was suddenly able to exploit during the industrial revolution (with the exploitation of coal and then oil) made it possible to develop technologies that do not meet the criteria of sobriety and interdependence found in natural systems. Due to the great availability of resources, energy efficiency was not initially a major criterion in the development of these technologies, and even if this has changed a lot now, many technologies are still far from the capacities of living beings in terms of energy efficiency. energy efficiency and resilience or modularity (adaptation to changes). In a logic of circular economy, we must free ourselves from our dependence on non-renewable resources for our energy needs, which requires, among other things, better efficiency energy. Whether by improving the aerodynamics, with well-known examples like the Kingfisher-inspired Shinkansen or the Airbus Super Transporter inspired by the shape of the beluga, the network management or even the architecture, biomimicry is not at its first energy sobriety attempt. Dematerialization By offering the possibility of avoiding material support to carry information, IT makes it possible to avoid producing prototypes thanks to simulation, to optimize the management of complex systems in real time and to improve our understanding of them. In this sense, IT can be a powerful ally in reducing our environmental impact and organizing the multi-stakeholder cooperation necessary for the circular economy. Industries are equipped for example with digital twins, to simulate their production chains. This makes it possible to anticipate the consequences of disruptions, to test solutions virtually before implementing them physically, and overall to operate more efficiently. Dematerialization, however, relies on a physical medium: computing, that consumes energy (and its consumption increases by 9% each year), requests materials and generates waste. Given the growing importance of IT in the functioning of our societies and our daily lives, succeeding in making the sector more sustainable is a strategic challenge. Biomimicry offers opportunities to reduce the material and energy cost of storing and processing information. Harvard is researching the storage of information on DNA as in the living. This technology makes it possible to store 1000 times more data in the same volume as a conventional hard drive, using only bio-produced organic matter. Research on bio-inspired algorithms is also very active, and makes it possible to create elegant, energy-efficient solutions, inspired for example by our brain, which perform computational feats, simultaneously solving a wide variety of problems with only 20 Watts (the consumption of a small light bulb!). Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Computing with ZACK Eventually, we should succeed in producing fully renewable computers. In the meantime, we can already work, as a first step, to integrate a circular economy logic into IT. Solutions already exist to create electronic components from organic materials. You may have already heard of OLEDs, organic LEDs. Conventional LEDs use semiconductors often enriched with rare metals whose stocks are limited, whose extraction is very polluting and whose recycling is very rare. OLEDs achieve excellent performance while being fully recyclable and highly energy efficient: they surely represent the future of lighting. The span of bioinformatics aimed at using living processes to achieve operations rather than traditional electronic components, is a field of research in full explosion, but which still fits into long-term perspectives. The energy efficiency of biological systems makes them interesting in theory, but their implementation is currently too complex for them to be used on a large scale. We already have a lot of electronic equipment in circulation. Surely you have some somewhere that you no longer use and we have a proposal allowing you to participate directly in the circular economy! The waste of all these electronic components, which at best are forgotten in drawers and at worst end up polluting the environment, is gigantic. Based on this observation, three innovators, Timothée Mével, a graduate of Supaéro and Polytechnique, Casimir de Hauteclocque, a Ponts et Chaussée engineer and Pierre-Emmanuel Saint-Esprit, a graduate of ESSEC, met in Berkeley where they collaborated to found their start-up ZACK. ZACK is already the French leader in the management of second-hand electronic products and makes it possible to recover abandoned devices with less effort. The initiative by ZACK fits perfectly into the logic of the circular economy, by creating an actor who will take charge of electronic products that no longer work and reintroduce them into the economy, just as decomposers make the molecules of living beings available to the ecosystem. ZACK has already put 800 tons of electronic components back into circulation since its creation in 2016. ZACK also gives the opportunity to promote its old appliances with a minimum of procedures, since the company resells the components at auction in less than a month. Their customers are often surprised to know the value of their electronic devices, even out of use. Combining ecological gesture and economic gain while making participation as simple as possible, this is what allows ZACK to participate in changes in consumption patterns and the fight against planned obsolescence. We believe it's essential that as many people as possible hear about these initiatives that can give everyone a role in transforming the way we live and the establishment of a circular economy. To give an order of magnitude, each year an amount of 50 million tons of e-waste are generated, and only 20% that are recycled. This waste pollutes the soil and groundwater, while it represents an annual value of $62.5 billion (a little more than the GDP of Croatia), and a ton of this waste contains more gold than a ton of gold ore before processing. Suffice to say that ZACK still has its work cut out for it, and they're just waiting for you to put all your old phones, computers, clock radios, music players back into circulation. It's good for the planet, good for us, and it's the kind of initiatives we need more than ever to achieve a sustainable and circular economy!

The multiple senses of life inspire sensors for detection tools and interactive technologies. Here is the “Top 5 bio-inspired sensors” developed by Bioxegy experts! Sensor and biomimicry: technology that makes sense! The detection is an essential tool for living beings to know and interact with their environment. If the human being has nine senses (and not five!) to do this, the living has developed and adapted many others. These senses now inspire sensors that support the development of detection tools and interactive technologies. Sensor 1: an explosives sensor inspired by the Mulberry Bombyx Bombix mori, the domestic silk moth (the adult silkworm) has an overpowering sense of smell: the male is able to detect his sexual partners from 16 km away! This capacity is essential to its survival: the moth only lives 15 days in the form of a butterfly, and reproduction is then its only activity (it does not even feed!). Its performance is explained by the operation of its antennas. They are covered with eyelashes with a porous structure to present a maximum surface to the pheromones which come to adhere to them. Researchers from the University of Strasbourg, the CNRS and the Institut Saint-Louis have developed a sensor inspired by the antennae of the Bombyx to detect TNT. The interest of this sensor? His performance. According to the first tests carried out in the laboratory, the device would be able to detect concentrations up to 0.8 ppt (part by trillion = 10¹⁸), a billion times more accurate than other existing sensors. He also outperforms trained dogs! Researchers are currently working on the transposition of this bio-inspired sensor to allow the detection of all types of molecules, in particular explosives and toxic chemical agents. Sensor 2: a forest fire sensor inspired by pyrophilic insects The Amazon, Australia, California: the flames have spared no area of the globe in recent years. If the flora is mostly destroyed, the fauna is not affected as much! And for good reason: some animals are able to detect forest fires. It is even a vital ability for some insects. The beetle Melanophila acuminata, also called fire bug, lays its eggs only on burnt trunks. It has a specialized organ to locate its egg-laying sites, making it able to detect a burnt tree at 1 km and a forest fire at 100 km! Some German researchers were inspired by its infrared detectors to design an ultra-efficient forest fire sensor that reproduces the mechanisms of living organisms! They studied the infrared detection organs of several pyrophilic insects to understand how they work. Their understanding allowed them to design a new biomimetic sensor. This sensor is 80 times more powerful than others on the market. Enough to spot fires much earlier to better protect forests. That's how nature is well done! Sensor 3: an earthquake sensor inspired by the elephant As with forest fires, wildlife is generally spared the ravages of earthquakes and tsunamis. Here again, they are able to sense danger coming in time to get to safety. And once again, these kinds of abilities would serve us well! Elephants are very good at this: their mass offers them a reserved channel of communication: that of seismic waves. They can thus communicate over very long distances. Researchers from the The University of Bristol and Oxford studied these vibrations to prove that it was possible to determine the behavior of these giants (walking, running, and even gurgling!) according to the waves emitted, evidence of the potential richness of these exchanges. To decode these messages, elephants have several tools at their disposal: a fatty cushion in their legs which allows them to feel these vibrations, bones which are excellent conductors of vibration, a trunk equipped with Pacini corpuscles (sensor of very fine movement) and ears which are specialized in low frequencies. NASA is currently developing a fly-eye-inspired sensor to detect seismic vibrations, and these searches provide an interesting new alternative. If we still need to improve our understanding of these mechanisms to develop a new bio-inspired sensor, this research is also useful to us in the development of technologies that absorb or amplify vibrations. Sensor 4: a sugar sensor inspired by a white butterfly Do you know the cabbage butterfly or small white, scientifically known as Pieris rapae. It bears this name in honor of the Pierides, muses of Greek mythology and the kohlrabi, on which the butterfly likes to lay its eggs. This time, it is not one of the senses of this animal that interests us but the white color of its wings! Like its cousin the Morpho butterfly, with iridescent blue, this color is not due to pigments as in most living beings, but to the structure of its wings. The basic structure of the wing consists of a layer of black pigments surmounted by a grid. It is this configuration that makes the black spots on its wings. On the rest of the wing, the whiteness is created by nanoscale balls (10⁻⁹m) hung on the grid. They make the white color appear by reflecting the incident light. How does this structure create a sensor? When molecules land on the beads, the trajectory of the light waves is deflected and the color changes. Researchers from the EPFL in Switzerland, have reproduced the structure of the wings with polymers. When wet, their wing turns black. How to make it a sensor! But, their transposition does not stop there! In truth, the perceived color will depend on the refractive index of the medium where the structure is located. The refractive index of a sugar solution varies according to the sugar concentration, it can be determined according to the color of the sensor! Interest? In the food industry, it is necessary to measure the sucrose content of certain products, like wine. This biomimetic sensor offers a “low-tech” alternative to the refractometers usually used. Sensor 5: an obstacle sensor inspired by the bat The bat is well known for its ability to locate itself in space at night. Its hunting strategy, involving the use of ultrasound, allows it to locate its prey and assess its movement in complete darkness. For humans, sight is the most used sense: our eyes are therefore our primary sensor. Unfortunately, not all our fellow citizens have the chance to observe their environment. Never mind: in the absence of an eagle's view, they can use that of the bat! This is indeed the challenge that the company Ultracane has set itself: a cane for the visually impaired with ultrasonic sensor. Thanks to this sensor, they can detect obstacles on the ground up to 4 meters (depending on the established setting). Second significant advantage of this sensor: detect obstacles in height up to 1.5m away. So here is a small overview of the best existing biomimetic sensors. But, there are many more! These sensors are particularly useful in the field of robotics: they make it possible to create detection robots. By combining the capacities of living things, it is possible to develop robots with various properties, such as this leak detection robot whose movement is inspired by the jellyfish, the body of the octopus, and the sensor of the blind tetra!

The dromedary is one of the animals best adapted to the desert. From head to toe through its hump, this makes it an ally of choice to accompany the man in the desert. Discover the incredible tricks of the dromedary to survive in the desert! Camel, who are you? Dromedary or camel? The scientific name of camel is camelus dromedarius. And yes, the dromedary is actually… a camel! More specifically, the dromedary, also called the Arabian camel, and the (Bactrian) camel are part of the same genus, but have differences that make them two distinct species. The most famous of these differences is of course their number of humps: if the camel has two, the dromedary is satisfied with a single hump. The dromedary indeed lives in the hot deserts, in the Sahara or Arabia, while the camel undergoes the cold winters of the Asian deserts, in Mongolia or China for example. It would therefore seem that from two bumps, representing two energy reserves, the dromedary has evolved into a simpler form with a single bump, sufficient and therefore more effective. Mark of this evolution, during its gestation the dromedary has two bumps which will merge before its birth! Just like between the horse and the donkey, a hybridization is possible between the dromedary and the camel: the hybrid is named Turkoman. Due to their distinct geographical areas, hybridization is only possible in farms. The camel family, the camelids, also includes llamas and guanacos, alpacas and vicuñas. These American cousins are also adapted to arid conditions, those of the Andes Cordillera rather than deserts. Famous “vessel of the desert” alongside man for millennia The dromedary is extremely well adapted to the desert. Its famous bump is a symbol of her adaptation. It is often thought of as a simple water supply, but the reality is more complex and much more interesting than that! The dromedary's hump is actually made up of fat, and therefore serves both as a water reserve and as an energy source. Water is not stored in liquid form directly, but can be recovered by the body when needed thanks to specific physiological reactions that do not exist in other animals. The dromedary can thus not drink for two weeks! On the other hand, when he finds a water point he is on the contrary able to drink in one go a quantity of water that would kill any other mammal... Furthermore, grouping all the fat together in a single bump rather than distributing it more evenly also has advantages in terms of thermoregulation: the absence of fat under its skin allows it to cool itself more effectively at night. The viable internal temperatures of the dromedary are also impressive: where we humans must always maintain our temperature around 37°C, it is normal for a dromedary to see its internal temperature vary from 34°C to 42°C. depending on the outside temperature. This 8°C amplitude allows it to save a lot of energy, a major asset for survival in the desert. Men made no mistake about it and very quickly sought to domesticate the dromedary, at least 3,000 years ago. The wild ancestor of the dromedary also disappeared following this domestication, unlike for example the wild guanaco which continues to exist alongside the domesticated llama. The dromedary renders many services to the men. Its most famous use is undoubtedly its participation in the caravans that have crisscrossed the Sahara since antiquity. Capable of carrying 140 kg and traveling 50 km a day in the desert, camels made these caravans the only efficient way to transport goods from one end of Africa to the other for a long time. The appearance of maritime trade, then the introduction of motor vehicles, of course diminished the importance, size and frequency of these caravans. However, the dromedary is still used as a pack animal and remains one of the most reliable means of transport in the Sahara. And that's not all ! Very versatile, and the only animal to survive in the desert, the dromedary offers many possibilities. Its meat and the milk of females provide a welcome food source in the desert. Its adaptation to the desert could also be used for military purposes, as during Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign for example. And still today, unexpected uses are emerging, such as itinerant camel-back libraries or its use for garbage collection. Finally, camels are also racing animals. Their name alone comes from the Greek dromeus, which means runner. Some breeds were selected more for their speed than their pack abilities, and large camel races continue to be held today, for example in the United Arab Emirates or Oman. These races are even listed on the intangible cultural heritage of Unesco. Camel and biomimicry Man's lifelong companion, the dromedary is our ally also indirectly thanks to the innovations it inspires us. The dromedary and its nose, a great thermoregulator To survive in the extreme heat conditions of the Sahara, the dromedary has sophisticated thermal regulation and water preservation systems. In addition to his bump, his respiratory system also plays an important role. It takes advantage of the low night temperatures to store water in the mucus of its nose. When day comes with its very high temperatures, this water cools the air it inspires by evaporation. Heat transfers are favored by the very large surface of its nasal canals. This operation has inspired the development of an air conditioning system for buildings in the desert which can reduce the indoor temperature by 5°C and increase the indoor humidity by 20% during the day. This system can be used for greenhouses in the desert and allow cultivation where it seems impossible. This is just an example among others of what biomimicry can do for agriculture! Camel's feet, or how not to get stuck in the sand Have you ever tried driving on sand? Not easy not to get bogged down… And what if biomimicry gave a boost to automotive ? The dromedary does not have hooves: its feet are more suited to loose sand than to surfaces that are too hard. Their concave shape, that is to say hollow inside, concentrates the sand towards the inside of the foot. This compacts the soft ground, making it easier to move and avoid sinking into it. Reproducing this concavity on tires makes it possible to design tires that are more efficient on sand and reduce the energy needed to advance in the desert. Camel nictitating membrane and sensor cleaning Faced with sandstorms, the dromedary must protect his eyes so as not to lose his sight. One of these protections is its nictitating eyelid. This third eyelid provides effective protection against sand, and ensures eye cleaning that saves tears, and therefore water. Bioxegy was inspired by this to design a camera cleaning system using 10 times less water than usual systems! More details on this project carried out with a major French automotive supplier here. Conclusion Thanks to its incredible adaptation to the desert, the dromedary has been able to make itself indispensable for men for millennia. And thanks to biomimicry, this long love story is far from over! Sources: https://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Dromedary https://www.worldhistory.org/trans/en/2-1344/the-camel-caravans-in-the-ancient-sahara/ Camel's nose strategy : New innovative architectural application for desert buildings Camels and Fennec Foxes: A Case Study on Biologically Inspired Design of Sand Traction Systems

Transdisciplinary approaches such as biomimicry are blurring the boundaries between the two conventional branches of natural science: physical science and life science. Natural sciences, what is it? Natural sciences: definition and context Science is etymologically defined as the sum of knowledge. But, what are natural sciences compared to other types of sciences? Three classifications are distinguished: the exact sciences, what is mathematics or theoretical physics, based on axioms and assumptions, the social sciences which study the behaviors and interactions of human beings, the natural sciences, which aim to study natural phenomena, such as chemistry, biology, or even experimental physics. Physical sciences and life sciences are natural sciences! The natural sciences are empirical and experimental sciences, which meet therefore to observations made on the living. We can then distinguish two branches of natural sciences: the life sciences and the physical sciences. On the one hand, the life sciences, similar to biology, aim to study living organisms at different scales: from molecular biology to the theory of evolution, including the anatomy of human beings for example. On the other hand, the physical sciences bring together different fields such as physics, chemistry, or astronomy. They aim to study non-living organisms, unlike the life sciences. As you will have understood, the border between the two branches of natural sciences is thin and sometimes the study of certain mechanisms, of certain behaviors cannot be placed in one of them in particular. For instance, biomimicry, if it were to be classified or owned, would at the convergence of these two branches. Indeed, as a study of the mechanisms and systems of the living world in order to apply it to technologies, within the framework of a method of innovation (biomimicry definition link), biomimicry takes the principles of life sciences and applies them to physical sciences. The history of natural sciences The definition and classification of sciences as we explained, is only a few years old. The history of natural sciences is obviously correlated with the evolution of civilizations and societies. Since the prehistoric era, man has defined and refined his tools empirically. These are the first traces of a scientific method in history, which is enriched throughout history. Previously, the boundaries between the different fields that may be mathematics, philosophy or physical sciences were much more blurred. One can think of great scholars of antiquity such as Eratosthenes, a great mathematician, astronomer, geographer to whom we owe in particular the first measurement of the circumference of the Earth. We can also mention Hippocrates, considered “the father of medicine”, who was also a renowned philosopher, author in particular of the theory of humors, at the crossroads between empirical medicine and philosophy. The analysis methods evolved, with a strong influence from ancient Greece and the Persian Empire. Various texts, in particular those of Aristotle, were only translated into Latin from the 12th century, and give birth to the first classifications of the natural sciences. Indeed, in the 13th century a Spanish philosopher named Gundissalinus defined the natural sciences as “sciences which study only concrete things capable of performing a movement”. These first definitions are gradually approaching what we know today, but the greatest developments in the natural sciences will come from the 17th century, with Isaac Newton which truly revolutionizes physics but also astronomy and optics. These numerous discoveries have allowed monumental advances, which have shaped the world as we know it today. Natural sciences: cross-border disciplines The different branches of the natural sciences include bordering disciplines, such as biophysics and the biomimicry, which overlaps the skills and attributes of the physical sciences and the life sciences. Biophysics, between physical sciences and life sciences Biophysics is an ideal example of multidisciplinary sciences, as it is at the interface of physics and biology. It can be defined primarily as the science that uses the approaches and methods of the physical sciences to study biological phenomena. Several universities are forerunners in this field, such as the University of Cambridge. At the end of the Second World War, it created a dedicated department, that notably led to the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1962, by crystallography in X-rays. We therefore understand that the separation of natural sciences into physical sciences and life sciences aims to categorize and specify the interest of each discipline, but that the links between these categories can lead to great discoveries. Thus we see the importance of pooling knowledge, across scientific disciplines, like biomimicry, capable of bringing technological innovations through the study of the living world. Natural science and biomimicry As you will have understood, natural sciences can be seen as a base for biomimicry, as this discipline is transverse to the physical sciences and the life sciences. Indeed, as an R&D approach that draws inspiration from the ingenuity of living mechanisms, functions and properties to innovate, biomimicry is by definition transdisciplinary. Biomimicry is the evidence that the interaction between sciences is effective and necessary. In fact, by combining the study of living beings and fluid mechanics for example, it is possible to design innovations to improve the aerodynamics of different elements, such as wind turbine blades which, that will, through biomimicry, be more efficient and profitable. (biomimicry and aerodynamics link). Similarly, life can be a very relevant source of inspiration in other areas such as thermoregulation of buildings, that is to say the management of air flow systems inside buildings to ensure the thermal comfort. Indeed, by taking inspiration from the fur of polar bears, it is possible to improve the thermal insulation of buildings, and therefore reduce their energy consumption (biomimicry and climate link). Conclusion Natural sciences have evolved and become more precise over the centuries, based on scientific and societal advances. The most recent developments are giving way to new transdisciplinary approaches, such as biomimicry. Sources: Defining Natural Sciences, Stephen F. Ledoux (2012) https://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Natural_science https://www .orientation.ch/dyn/show/4186 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3055214/

The morpho butterfly is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world, recognizable by its large blue wings. Fascinating in many ways, the morpho has interested researchers for decades and never seems to run out of secrets to surprise us. The examples of innovations inspired by the wings of this butterfly are very numerous, and make the morpho butterfly a champion of biomimicry ! The morpho butterfly, a jewel of ingenuity and innovation There are more than 100,000 species of butterflies in the world. They are at the origin of multiple and impressive biomimetic applications, as we have shown with the particularly enlightening example of moths. The morpho butterfly (of which there are several dozen species) is also the source of many diverse examples of biomimicry, of which this article is limited to an overview. The morpho butterfly has a positive and magical meaning according to certain Amazonian legends, which seems to be confirmed by the diversity of scientific innovations it has inspired! The morpho butterfly is native to the warm, humid forests of South and Central America, an ecoregion with abundant biodiversity. It is one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of up to 20 cm! The most represented species is the blue morpho (Morpho menelaus), usually called “common morpho” or simply “morpho”. This butterfly with a thousand and one secrets contains many treasures of natural ingenuity, which inspire and amaze scientists. Its wings, for example, have five distinct functions on their own: to fly, to warm up, to seduce females, to evacuate water and to prevent bacteria and dust from attaching themselves to them! The biomimetic innovations inspired by the wings of the morpho are incredible, who knows how far its flight will take us? When the morpho butterfly teaches us to fly The morpho butterfly has a unique way of flying. To flap the wings, it is important to be able to control the flow of air generated with each beat in order to direct its flight. In the book The Awakening of the Morpho (only available in french), the physicist Serge Berthier explains that the morpho butterfly uses the circulation of lymph for this, the equivalent of blood in insects. When the lymph is sent in large quantities to the wings, they stiffen. The morpho butterfly then uses this phenomenon when it flaps its wings downwards in order to generate a pushing force. On the contrary, when its wings go up, the lymph withdraws and softens them, which allows the morpho butterfly not to be propelled downwards. This technique has been transposed to modern technologies, in particular on small drones with flapping wings imitating this principle to fly! Butterfly morpho and solar panels Keeping the right temperature Before flying, you have to be able to take off! It is important for the morpho butterfly to be able to warm up its body in the early morning before soaring into the air. It does this by alternately contracting muscles in its wings, which will allow it to warm up to the right temperature. In warm-blooded beings, the influx of blood helps regulate temperature. However, the morpho butterfly being poikilothermic, or cold-blooded, it is crucial for him to find alternatives. And there again, he has more than one trick up his sleeve: he can adjust his scales in order to emit infrared waves and release heat when it's too hot, and on the contrary to inhibit their emission when it's cold. to preserve solar energy. The scales of the morpho butterfly's wing are composed of chitin, a molecule whose size is around one nanometer (billionth of a meter). It is responsible for the thermal regulation of the butterfly. After 40°C, butterflies cannot transpire. The chitin emits in the infrared above this temperature to cool the morpho butterfly, and absorbs it below to warm it. A real technological gem! According to universities from Australia and Germany, this phenomenon is of interest to researchers for the design of more profitable photovoltaic solar panels, which avoid the all too common problem of overheating. Indeed, the efficiency of photovoltaic panels decreases when their temperature increases sharply, it is in our interest to keep them at a good temperature. Thanks to the morpho butterfly, we can learn how to create solar panels that are thermoregulated, by adapting this mechanism to the appropriate temperatures for the production of energy. This example of biomimetic innovation also offers us the possibility of designing screens that consume less energy, self-regulating fabrics for textiles, photodetectors or infrared sensors! And we are not at the end of our surprises... The morpho butterfly, in the colors of innovation Structural color and its applications The reason why the morpho butterfly is so popular with researchers is probably its beautiful blue color. Most animals owe their color to molecules called pigments. For example, the Cuban butterfly Eurytides celadon sports wings tinted with a pigmented blue. The morpho butterfly owes its color to a completely different phenomenon, linked to the structure of its wings! We're talking about structural color. This structural color is due to the periodicity of the ridges that hollow the wings of the morpho butterfly, as well as a stack of lamellae that overhangs them, as shown below : This has the effect of interfering with light, and only reflecting blue. This color is much more robust than pigments, which tend to degrade quickly after individuals die. The study of structural colors is part of a field of physics called photonics, which is very popular and rich in examples of applications in biomimicry. For example, in order to fight against counterfeiting, molds have been developed from the iridescences of the morpho butterfly. By reproducing the structure of the scales of its wings in negative on the inside of the mold and by controlling the dimension of the reliefs, a unique colored pattern is conferred on the molded product, which makes it possible to identify it. This inexpensive and very generalist technique is an effective example of biomimicry inspired by the morpho butterfly! Another example is using this structure for detect gas. Indeed, the wings of the morpho butterfly shine a different color depending on the liquid or gas in which they are immersed due to the speed of propagation of light within it. This feature can be used in conjunction with a camera to detect the presence of gases and their concentration. Now let's go for a walk to discover even more surprises from this surprising Lepidoptera... The morpho butterfly, the fakir of the river The morpho butterfly wings superhydrophobia One day when the physicist Serge Berthier was in the middle of the Amazon rainforest to study morpho butterflies, he found one on the surface of a river, its wings under the water. What was his surprise when he saw it swim away (yes, it can swim!) and then come out of the water with perfectly dry wings! And in fact, despite the high humidity and the abundant rains in these regions, the wings of the morpho butterfly are always dry. This is due to a phenomenon called the fakir effect, in reference to their ability to balance on a studded board without sinking into it. Indeed, the drops of water which are on the wings of the morpho butterfly are as if placed on their surface, and do not cling to them at all, remaining almost spherical. This is called superhydrophobicity: the water folds in on itself rather than interacting with the nanostructures of the wings whose surface is very weak, and glides over them without wetting them. This property is very common in the living world, and is exploited to create filtering membranes or coatings capable of limiting friction with a fluid in an industrial context. It can even be used to clean without getting tired... The self-cleaning nature of the morpho's wings Unlike flies, which clean their wings and eyes with their legs, the morpho butterfly's legs are too short to allow it to reach its large wings. Luckily for him, he doesn't need it! In fact, the scales that cover them fit together like tiles, which creates a movement of the water drops in one direction, towards the outside of the wings. However, remember, the drops do not adhere to the wings of the morpho butterfly! They slip, and take away the bacteria and dust that are there. Real Kärcher cleaning, and effortless! Biomimicry was quick to take inspiration from this ingenious mechanism to create self-cleaning surfaces, such as glazing reproducing the texturing of the wings of the morpho butterfly by 3D printing techniques, which are much more economical than conventional glass. All these examples of biomimicry inspired by the fabulous properties of the morpho butterfly show that life and biodiversity are full of ingenuity to help us meet our needs. We looked at the butterfly's wings, but what about the rest of its body? There are still many fascinating properties to explore and transpose to innovate, starting with the hooks of its Velcro-like claws... So many promises and proofs of application that can only encourage us to protect biodiversity for the benefit of all !

Tardigrades are everywhere! From high snow-capped mountains to the darkest seabed, from the most banal of house roofs to the emptiness of space, the tardigrade is able to withstand the most extreme conditions. A dream source of inspiration for researchers! Tardigrades, many ever more incredible species! The so-called tardigrade (or “water bear”) is not a species, but a phylum animal: vertebrates being for example a sub-branch of the animal kingdom. So there are more 1300 listed species of tardigrades! While most of them are terrestrial, others are marine species found both near the coast and in the abyss. Tardigrades feed mainly on diatoms, single-celled algae that we told you about in our Incredible Nature podcast. As you know now that you've listened to this fabulous podcast, diatoms have an external skeleton: a protective silica capsule called a frustule. So, to feed, the tardigrades manage to pierce the frustule, which allows them to suck up the algae cell. Usually measuring less than a millimeter (although the largest still reach 1.5 mm), tardigrades are best known for their toughness. They survive temperatures of -272°C, which is almost absolute zero! They also withstand high pressures (more than 6000 bars!) or, conversely, vacuum. They are also 1000 times more resistant than us to UV radiation and X-rays, and also tolerate certain toxic substances. And as if that wasn't enough, tardigrades can also survive several days without oxygen. Warning all the same, even if the listing that we have drawn up is impressive, it is however necessary to qualify our comments. If you go back a few lines above, we told you that tardigrades represent several species, so they are not all equally resistant. If we are interested in UV resistance, demonstrated in 2020 by a group of Indian researchers in a paper published by the Royal Society, we can see that it is not present in all species of tardigrades. For example, those of the genus Paramacrobiotus survived without problems to a 15 minute UV exposure while tardigrades of the species Hypsibius exemplaris died within a day of exposure. Nevertheless, the tardigrades' secret weapon, their ultimate superpower, which allows them to survive many extreme conditions, is present in all species, namely: cryptobiosis! Cryptobiosis, the tardigrade's secret weapon that inspires research Cryptobiosis is the ability of a living being to slow down its metabolism to such an extent that it practically stops. All biological functions are suspended and the organism no longer even meets the usual definition of a living being! Organisms capable of entering into cryptobiosis can then return to a state of active life: this is called reviviscence. As you understood, the tardigrade is one of those animals capable of putting their lives on hold. But how does he do it? The tardigrade evacuates water from its body and produces a sugar, trehalose, which helps preserve the integrity of its cells. Then these cells contract and the different elements (called organelles) they contain pile up on top of each other. In most animals, this state is irreversible, even after rehydration. Tardigrade, on the other hand, has specific proteins called Tardigrade-Specific Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. These famous proteins are inserted between the organelles of the cell like bubble wrap, and protect them from each other. The tardigrade can thus remain in a state of stasis, that is to say totally inactive, practically indefinitely. A Japanese laboratory has kept specimens for over 30 years! Even crazier: tardigrades have been found in ice caps over 2000 years old, and they resumed their activity, as if nothing had happened, when it melted! Currently, the maximum survival time of the tardigrade in a state of cryptobiosis is therefore still unknown. Tardigrade cryptobiosis is of great interest to research (and to curious people) in particular to improve the conservation of biological material in the medical field. In particular, the process may prove useful in facilitating the storage of vaccines at room temperature. It is precisely for this purpose that the company Biomatrica has developed DNA and RNA storage techniques at room temperature inspired by tardigrade cryptobiosis. An excellent example of biomimicry applied to health sector! Tardigrades and Space Missions: To Infinity and Beyond? As we have seen, tardigrades resist both vacuum, cold, lack of oxygen and radiation. They are therefore ideal candidates for space travel. So in 2007, researchers sent a capsule of tardigrades into orbit for 10 days. Tardigrades not only survived but even reproduced when they returned! In contrast, tardigrades that were not protected from the sun did not survive long. It should be noted, however, that the tardigrades sent into space do not belong to the species renowned for its UV resistance. Precisely speaking of UV resistance, the origin of this resistance could inspire UV protection for astronauts on future long-duration missions. Indeed, we know that these tardigrades protect themselves from the effects of UV rays thanks to fluorescent pigments. The light emitted by the pigments of the tardigrades makes it possible to reflect the radiation, this therefore prevents the radiation from reaching their organism. The fluorescence of the tardigrade ultimately serves as a shield! And again, the tardigrade has not said its last word. If this fluorescence is applied to tardigrades that are not UV-resistant, they survive radiation much better! The researchers behind this discovery even tested it on nematode worms, an animal species completely different from the tardigrade. They were able to observe, here again, a marked improvement in the survival of nematodes under UV light. When will there be a transposition to use this fluorescence in the field spatial ? Finally, the resistance of the tardigrades could also inspire new materials. In particular dry adhesives inspired by the spatulae (fine hairs) of the gecko, which resemble those used in the field of robotics. Indeed, researchers at the Berlin Institute of Technology are interested in tardigrade to improve the spatial stability of this type of adhesive. Existing applications, based on polymers, degrade and lose their elasticity in such a harsh environment, which affects the adhesive power of the assembly. Tardigrade-inspired materials could be a game-changer, although current research is still very exploratory. The tardigrade therefore has more than one string to its bow to amaze us! In addition to being a biological curiosity for its multiple exploits, it could also inspire researchers and engineers for various applications. Who knows what this little tough guy still has in store for us?

Looking at the history of biomimicry is important to fully understand its evolution and current form. Thus, biomimicry's current results both from immemorial observations and the latest scientific progress! Biomimicry in the cradle The first traces in history of biomimicry in the broad sense, that is to say, creating inspired by nature (or bio-inspiration), undoubtedly date back to prehistoric times. From imitating the cries of birds to hunt to wearing animal skins for warmth, the humankind was able to exploit very quickly the mechanisms and properties of nature for very diverse functions (survival, social position etc.). Let's jump back in time to European antiquity. We find traces of human's desire to draw inspiration from nature and the living. In particular through the Greek myth of Icarus which realizes the fantasy of flying like a bird by attaching artificial wings to itself, but dies of it out of pride for having flown too high, the wings burned by the fire of the sun. However, man has never ceased to seek to rise from the ground, in particular by observing birds... For some Greek philosophers, like the atomist Democritus, the notion of mimesis (defined by Plato) covers the fact of imitating nature through the technique: weaving imitating, for example, the webs made by spiders. At the same time, Aristotle was interested in biomechanics, defined today as the study of the mechanical properties of living beings. He wrote the first book on the subject, titled De Motu Animalium, in English On the movement of animals. He is the first of a long series of curious, professionals and amateurs, who took an interest in the mechanisms at work in the organisms around us, and in their potential technical application... They contribute thus without knowing it to the history of biomimicry and bio-inspiration. Biomimicry in its prime For many, the story of biomimicry really begins with Leonardo da Vinci. Known for his famous paintings, the Florentine is also known for his schematics of flying machines, its ornithopters. Indeed, among his multiple talents, this polymath was an anatomist who enjoyed observing the flight of birds. His ideas were put down on paper and transmitted to mankind, allowing them to bear fruit four centuries later with the beginnings of the 'aviation. He also tried his hand at automatons replicating humans or various animals. Leonardo da Vinci's ornithopter, one of his most famous inventions, inspired by the flight of birds In 1638, Galilee published Dialogue on the two main systems of the world, in which he introduces modern mechanical science. Biomechanics was very present in the scholarly minds of that time, so William Harvey was the first to identify the human heart as a pump that propels blood in the circulatory system, in 1628. Another example is that of Giovanni Borelli, who studied animal locomotion and is sometimes considered the father of the biomechanics. The story of biomimicry is gaining ground Biomimicry experienced a real boom with the industrial revolution, and the discovery of new sources of energy such as steam or electricity. Thus, on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the 300 meter tower, now named after its promoter Gustave Eiffel, was designed from the observation of the remarkable mechanical properties of the human femur. This bone, the longest in the human body, is very strong despite a relatively low mass. By seeking to reproduce the structure of the bony spans of the femur, its designers created a unique biomimetic tower, lighter than the cylinder of air that contains it despite the wrought iron of which it is made, and which is the pride of France today. The structure of the Eiffel Tower inspired by the human femur At the end of the 19th century, many people were interested in development of flying machines. One of the best known is probably Clément Ader, inventor of the word “aeroplane” as well as his first three aeroplanes, the Eole, the Zephyr and the Aquilon. He is considered one of the fathers of world aviation. It's inspired by the gliding flight of bats that he developed his Avion I, II and III, and gave them the characteristic shape of the wings of chiroptera (the famous bats). The story of biomimicry continues to soar with the development of aviation throughout the 20th century and after. Today, Icarus' dream has come true, and the man is now aiming for the stars... Meanwhile, on solid ground, biomimicry was also at the origin of original and remarkable discoveries. Thus, in 1941, the Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented the velcro after having been inspired by the small hooked heads of burdock, a common plant in Europe. By observing them under the microscope, he observed that these hooks allow a very good adherence of the plant on the curly surfaces. The velcro business (which comes from the contraction of velvet and hook) was founded in 1959, thanks to the replication of this property of life which could be adapted to an industrial scale. Biomimicry today: the story continues It was in the 1950s that the term “biomimicry” was coine by the American researcher Otto Schmitt, shortly followed by the term "bionics" in 1958, to officially designate a science and an approach to research and development . The latter is still used today, especially in the robotic field, although it has been largely superseded by its predecessor. He is also the source of sci-fi fantasies, as seen in the TV series The Three Billion Man , where the hero is a bionic man of outsized strength. Far from these fictional considerations, biomimicry now has a strong application and industrial component, and a real need is developing. In particular with the awareness of what living things can bring us beyond immediate physical resources, also known as the knowledge economy. In 1997, the American scientist Janine Benyus made a major contribution to biomimicry through her work to expand biological inspiration for the development of efficient innovations, sustainable and environmentally friendly. She is considered today as one of the leading figures in the history of biomimicry, in the world, with no less than six books published on the subject. Today, biomimicry can boast of having infiltrated almost every industry sector around the world, consistently demonstrating its effectiveness as a living-based research and development approach. Countless innovations have thus been patented, and many universities and laboratories around the world continue to study living organisms with a view to applications in the sectors of energy, health, aeronautics, telecommunications, cosmetics, construction, transport, luxury,... The Shinkansen, Japanese high-speed train, whose shape is inspired by the kingfisher's beak To infinity, and beyond? We have just seen that the history of biomimicry goes back several millennia, and has benefited from a tremendous boost in recent centuries, then in recent decades. And if biomimicry still kept its best cards for tomorrow? What if the future was drawn in squid ink? If it tooks it's inspiration from the light of fireflies? Sustainable development is one of today's most important issues, and biomimicry one of its proudest banners. Just like the immortal jellyfish and its fascinating secrets, we bet that the adventure and history of biomimicry will continue to keep us spellbound , for centuries of discovery and preservation.

Mother-of-pearl is an incredible material: from its beauty to its solidity, its virtues are numerous. This fascinating material continues to surprise and inspire us. Welcome to this guided tour of the virtues of mother-of-pearl! Mother-of-pearl and its benefits for molluscs Definition of mother-of-pearl Mother-of-pearl is a biomaterial synthesized by many molluscs. Certain univalve shellfish, such as abalone, or bivalves, such as oysters or pinna nobilis, the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean, also known as “noble pen shell” or "fan mussel", are known to secrete pearl. But this material is common to most shelled molluscs: even snails produce it! The mother-of-pearl constitutes the inner layer of the shell, directly in contact with the mollusk. Like the rest of the shell, it is mainly composed of calcium carbonate. This mineral is found in the mother-of-pearl in the form of aragonite, while it can, in the rest of the shell, also be found in the form of calcite, its stable form under ambient conditions of pressure and temperature. The acidification of the oceans, caused by global warming, puts these molluscs at risk, in the same way as corals which also contain aragonite. Indeed, the acidity of the water changes the balance between the crystallized forms, calcite or aragonite, of the limestone, and its presence in solution in the water. Water that is too acidic can then prevent these organisms from creating their shell and pearl, or even destroy this external skeleton necessary for their survival. Structure and role of mother-of-pearl Mother-of-pearl has a protective role for the molluscs that secrete it. Aragonite is a very hard material, but also very brittle. In nacre, aragonite crystals are organized in layers, bound together by conchiolin. This organic material brings a relative flexibility to the whole, which translates into a breaking strength 3,000 times greater than that of aragonite alone. And to obtain this performance, 5 to 6% of conchioline in the mother-of-pearl is enough, while allowing it to preserve the hardness of the aragonite! Secreted throughout the life of the mollusk, mother-of-pearl therefore protects the inside of the shell. It is also this protective role that allows the creation of beautiful mother-of-pearl beads. Indeed, when a foreign body penetrates inside the shell, it will trigger the production of nacre around it. Layer by layer, it will be covered in this way so as not to irritate the shell, which will give rise to a pearl. The iridescent appearance of these pearls and of the interior of the shells is directly linked to the layered structure of the mother-of-pearl. Indeed, the alignments of aragonite will lead to particular reflections of light and thus produce the beautiful reflections of nacre. To these structural colors can be added pigmentary colors, brought to the mother-of-pearl by carotenoids (pigments which, as their name indicates, are also present for example in carrots) in the conchioline. Mother-of-pearl and its virtues for men Mother-of-pearl: a precious material for social uses The beauty of mother-of-pearl was the first reason for its use by men. Some shells with a particularly beautiful nacre have thus been used directly as currency, such as cowrie shells in China, India or even Africa. The development of new techniques, as well as the breeding of certain species for their mother-of-pearl specifically, have allowed the development of new uses for nacre. This semi-precious stone is then used in jewelry or marquetry, but also to make buttons or various decorations. Its milky white appearance has even led to its use in realistic sculpture, to represent the whites of the eyes! Finally, musical instruments do not escape the use of mother-of-pearl, whether for their decoration, like certain guitars, or for a more direct role: the keys of accordions are thus made of mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl and its therapeutic virtues Mother-of-pearl also gives rise to less common uses. Its color and solidity reminiscent of that of teeth, the Mayans used to use it to replace their damaged teeth. Studies of these implants have shown an amazing connection between these new teeth and the jawbone: these implants were not only not rejected by the patients but on the contrary became an integral part of the dentition. These amazing properties were then studied to consider the use of mother-of-pearl for bone implants. And in fact, mother-of-pearl has a structure similar to that of bones, and above all similar growth mechanisms. So the same kinds of chemical messages induce nacre and bone growth. The presence of mother-of-pearl therefore promotes bone regeneration, which opens up promising avenues for the development of biomaterials effective in bone repair. Mother-of-pearl and its virtues for biomimicry In search of solidity What if the virtues of mother-of-pearl for humans went beyond its use as a material, and extended to the inspirations it can generate, as many other marine organisms? As we have said, the structure of mother-of-pearl gives it resistance and solidity. Taking inspiration from this brick and mortar structure, combining hard bricks such as aragonite and a more flexible mortar such as conchiolin can thus make it possible to develop new, more solid materials. This idea is applicable to many types of materials! For example, a bio-based plastic was developed inspired by mother-of-pearl. Sheets of mica play the role of bricks, and cellulose (constituent of plants) plays that of conchiolin to give this new biodegradable plastic good mechanical properties. Just as conchiolin is only a small proportion of mother-of-pearl, the addition of a very small amount of softer material can be enough to have impressive results. Thus, the addition of 7% polymer in glass makes it possible, by reproducing the structure of mother-of-pearl, to obtain a 700 times more crack resistant glass! Finally, a last mechanism improves the resistance of mother-of-pearl: sacrificial bonds. Their principle? These are fairly weak bonds, which will break preferentially without threatening the integrity of the entire structure. As they are also easily reformable, this offers interesting healing capacities. This mechanism can be reproduced at different scales to provide self-repairing capabilities to different materials. Towards new applications If we take a step back, the structure of mother-of-pearl can be interesting in applications further away from its primary usefulness. For example, an effective water filter is inspired by mother-of-pearl. This filter combines a filtering protein, through the pores of which is carried out the filtration, and a mineral structure, which ensures the mechanical solidity of the filter. Thus, it is possible to pass large water flows through this robust filter while having a good selectivity of the filtered molecules. Finally, mother-of-pearl will perhaps accompany the next space explorations! Indeed, a new solid rocket fuel is inspired by it to improve its characteristics. The addition of conductive and resistant bricks within the fuel polymer improves both the thermal conductivity and the resistance of the assembly. Inspired by mother-of-pearl, this provides solid fuel with better resistance to the stresses exerted on it, especially during take-off. But in addition, combustion is made more reliable thanks to the better distribution of heat within the material: hot spots and the risk of accidents are limited. Conclusion Decorative and solid, mother-of-pearl has many virtues that make it a very popular material. Given the number of innovations it inspires, mother-of-pearl still has a bright future ahead of it in terms of biomimicry!

Biomimicry is an innovation method that has already had resounding success during its history. We invite you here to review the five most emblematic examples which have contributed to making biomimicry known as a successful method of innovation to the general public. The first emblematic example of biomimicry: Velcro Velcro, a very famous technology Velcro is arguably the most famous example of biomimicry. It is a closing system with a simple mechanics: on one side a surface on which are arranged hundreds of small hooks, on the other surface hundreds of small curls cover it. When the two surfaces are pressed together, the hooks grip the loops and form a reliable, reversible and solid closure system. It is a system that has the advantage of being able to be undone quite easily if sufficient force is exerted, while being perfectly reusable. Depending on the materials used for the hooks and loops, Velcro is capable of withstanding impressive forces: did you know that a square of 5 centimeters of Velcro side is capable of supporting 80kg! These properties have given Velcro a wide variety of applications, ranging from school sneakers to NASA shuttles! Burdock: the biological inspiration behind Velcro Velcro is an exemplary case of biomimicry as it relies on the burdock dissemination technique, a common plant on the countryside. The fruit of burdock, which contains its valuable seeds, is covered with small hooks. When passing furry animals, burdock fruits cling to their fur and are thus disseminated at distances of several tens of kilometers: an ingenious way for an immobile plant to conquer new territories by exploiting the mobility of animals! This dissemination strategy is called zoochory, and was directly at the origin of the invention of Velcro through biomimicry. How and by whom was Velcro invented? In 1941, the Swiss engineer George de Mestral returns from a hunting trip. His dog, Milka, who spent her morning hanging out in the brush, has her hair densely covered in burdock fruit. Removing them one by one requires George de Mestral a lot of patience. He had all the time to observe the operation of those tenacious little fruits. Out of curiosity, he analyses some of them under the microscope and notices that their hooks are deformable and return to their initial position when plucking them from the hairs. That's how he got the idea to make a quick closing system, which will become one of the most emblematic examples of biomimicry! The second key example: the Shinkansen The Shinkansen, an aerodynamic Japanese train The Shinkansen, famous Japanese train, forerunner high-speed lines, is undoubtedly the second most emblematic example of biomimicry. Circulating at more than 300 km/h, it is one of the most reliable trains in the world. On the island of Honshū, it connects the districts of the Tokyo agglomeration (the most populated city in the world with its 37 million inhabitants), to the cities of Nagoya and Osaka in a very dense urban continuum and more importantly, in a very rugged geological environment. The route of the Shinkansen lines therefore includes many tunnels to cross cities and mountains. However, it turns out that every time it entered a tunnel at high speed, the Shinkansen generated a shock wave causing significant noise pollution. However, in the context of very strong urbanisation of the Japanese population since the end of the Second World War, the problems of noise pollution have become increasingly important over time. Since the 1980s, it became essential to find a solution to the noise pollution of the Shinkansen in such a densely populated area. The kingfisher, the origin of the optimisation of the Shinkansen The kingfishers (Alcedinidae family) are birds found on all continents except Antarctica. They are specialised in stalking fishing: they spend much of their time perched above shallow water and dip their beaks forward to grab small fish that venture close to the surface. A true concentrate of technologies, the kingfisher has, among many other things, an eye capable of correcting chromatic aberrations caused by light reflecting in the water. This allows him to see very clearly what is happening below the surface when we only see a reflection of the sky. However, what allowed the Japanese engineers to solve their problem is the shape of its beak. Indeed, when they split the surface of the water, these small birds manage to generate almost no splash, which allows them to reach prey more than twenty centimeters from the surface with greater speed and discretion. In calm weather, when the water surface is smooth, their hit rate is 100%. The secret of this hydrodynamics lies in the shape of its beak: long, thin, spearheaded, and streamlined in perfect continuity with the shape of his skull. It is this mouthpiece which, through biomimicry, enabled the Shinkansen engineers to solve the problem of noise pollution. In particular, Eiji Nakatsu, railway engineer who worked on the Shinkansen project, is behind this biomimicry innovation. Also an ornithologist, he had observed the kingfisher in fishing action. He noticed that the Shinkansen and the kingfisher shared similar constraints: the bird's beak, like the front of the train, suddenly encounters strong resistance. By using biomimicry, he was inspired by the shape of the beak of the kingfisher, to redesign a new nose for the Shinkansen. And the models he made confirm that this option was the right one. When it entered service in 1997, the Kingfisher-inspired Shinkansen 500 offered: A reduction in the boom at the entrance to the tunnels and a quieter running in general; A 15% reduction in power consumption; A 10% speed increase. This is an iconic example of biomimicry. It highlights one of the essential components of innovation in general, and of biomimicry in particular: multidisciplinarity. It's because Eiji Nakatsu was both an engineer and an ornithologist that he managed to transpose what he observed into an industrially applicable solution through biomimicry. The lotus' hydrophobia: one of the best-known examples of biomimicry The Lotus The sacred lotus is a water flower prevalent in a large majority of Asia. Lotuses live in colonies in shallow water. They often create a rich ecosystem of amphibians, birds and insects: their large leaves form a carpet on the surface of the water on which many organisms move by depositing solid bodies (mud, excrement, particles, etc.). However, the lotus depends on the photosynthesis of its leaves to survive. If particles prevent light from reaching the surface of its leaves, or limit it in places, it will result in a lower energy performance. Evolution led the lotus to develop an elaborate technique to optimise its energy performance: superhydrophobia. The principle is simple: the lotus leaf's surface structure prevents adhesion of particles and water, the slightest drop of water carries with it all the dirt on the surface of the leaf. Thus, the lotus leaf surface is self-cleaning. It is this feature that has inspired many innovations within biomimicry. The lotus effect: what is it? The lotus' superhydrophobia has been known for centuries but could only be explained with the invention of the electron microscope, it was only once it was understood that it could be at the origin of innovations by biomimicry. In the 1970s, the German botanist Wilhelm Barthlott solved the mystery. This is explained by villi on the surface of the leaf, themselves covered with micro-villi. This double villi structure creates a nano-scale roughness which creates very few contact points between the drops of water and the leaf and the drop “slides” over the surface, carrying with it all the micro-particles of dust or dirt. It is this nanometric structure that has inspired numerous biomimetic applications. Hydrophobia on lotus leaves versus water lily leaves This discovery de Wilhelm Barthlott gave birth to industrial applications as of the 1990s. Applications can be found in many sectors: self-cleaning paints for facades in construction, coatings for hydrophobic glass, superhydrophobic textiles and synthetic leathers, etc. Recently, solar panels reproducing this particular nanometric structure of the lotus, have been developped to obtain the self-cleaning hydrophobic effect and, like the lotus leaf, to optimise their capture of solar energy. Since the discovery of the lotus effect, we have noticed that many other plants have similar properties such as nasturtium or… leek! Shark skin: the 4th leading example of biomimicry Sharks: a rich biological organism for biomimicry Sharks have colonised all the seas and oceans of the globe. There are about 500 different species. There are many reasons for this evolutionary success. Their highly developped olfactory system allows them to spot their prey from great distances underwater. In addition to this sense of smell, they are equipped with sensory organs called “Ampullae of Lorenzini” that allow them to detect electromagnetic fields present in water as well as temperature gradients. They are thus able to spot a muscle contraction and therefore locate their prey. But there's another characteristic of sharks that gave them an advantage: their ability to move easily in water. While not all sharks actually have a hydrodynamic shape, they do have an amazing feature that allows them to greatly increase their ability to move through water with little energy expenditure: the structure of their skin. The hydrodynamics of shark skin Unexpectedly, the shark skin is very rough to the touch. Contrary to our intuition, hydrodynamics are not optimised by a perfectly smooth surface. On the contrary ! Shark skin is actually made up of a myriad of small scales which are entangled. These small scales have the particularity of having micro-grooves on their surface, which generate a sort of “film” of water which limits friction of the shark's body with the fluid. This is called a flow control technique. This is what reduces friction and allows the shark to move at low energy cost. This amazing structure has spawned a wide variety of applications in hydro- and aerodynamics. Aeronautics, is no stranger to biomimicry, took advantage of this opportunity. The aircraft manufacturer Airbus was inspired by it to develop a coating for aircrafts intended to reduce fuel consumption. The tests were very conclusive and allowed to reduce drag by 10%: which would result in fuel savings of more than 1% ! It's colossal! In 2019, Airbus announced the upcoming commercialisation of this coating which is a very eloquent example of biomimicry. But that's not all! Biomimicry has found other applications for this amazing structure of the shark skin. The scale microstructure has a height to width ratio that prevents the attachment of microorganisms, and their overgrowth. An American company, Sharklet Technologies, was inspired by these micro-grooves to create a structurally antibacterial surface. Groove pattern and size (2 microns wide and 3 microns high) prevents bacteria colonies from adhering and colonising the surface. The applications of this technology are very promising in the medical sector: for example for dressings, adhesive films (to protect surfaces), catheters, etc. Depending on the type of surface, the proliferation of bacteria is reduced by 70 to 97%! Biomimicry made it possible to imagine other applications to this shark skin structure. For the creation of swimsuits, or the design of antifouling coatings for boat hulls. After a long stay in the water, micro-organisms develop on their hull (submerged part). These can increase the drag of a boat by 30% to 50%! Today the fairing is expensive and requires the use of harmful chemicals to clean the hull and repaint it. An antifouling structure inspired by shark skin could allow better efficiency with much more limited use of chemicals! Here is another example of biomimicry that shows the diversity of applications that can be inspired of a single characteristic of life! Gecko Skin: Latest Iconic Example of Biomimicry The Gecko Do you know about geckos? They are little nocturnal lizards that often surprise us on summer evenings behind the shutters of houses in the south of France. Big eyes, a stocky body, star-shaped paws with thick fingers, and always upside down. There are many species, spread out on all continents and with very different looks. Some have the ability to copy the shape of their support to camouflage themselves, a strategy called mimicry. But they all share a common characteristic: the amazing ability to be able to walk on any vertical or sloped surface as comfortably as we can on level ground. It is not uncommon to see them running along the walls or even on a window! Gecko's paw grip The secret to this ability lies in the structure of their legs. Or rather… the hairs of their paws. Indeed, the fingers of geckos are covered with very dense microscopic hairs: the setae. There are several thousand of them per mm². Each of these hairs is branched at its end into several other small even finer hairs. The density of hair leads to an interaction on the molecular level with the support on which the gecko evolves. This molecular interaction is called “Van der Waals force”. It is a low intensity electrical interaction between atoms that creates an adhesion between the setae and surface. Thanks to these millions of hairs, the gecko is able to walk on any surface. And it is this characteristic that biomimicry tries to exploit. These hairs were discovered in 2005! Since 2005, many biomimetic innovations took inspiration from this principle to look for solutions for reversible adhesion. For example miniature robots capable of climbing on glass, or Geckskin, a structural adhesive, stickable/peelable, without adhesive substance or chemicals, which holds only by the force of Van der Waals. The gecko is famous in biomimicry because of the significant amount of ongoing research that is inspired by the structure of its legs, and by the promising prospects offered by movement on any surface. In 2015, a Stanford researcher managed to climb a glass wall thanks to an assembly of adhesive plates inspired by the paws of the gecko. These 5 emblematic examples of biomimicry are the best known to the general public, and are invariably found in all popular publications on biomimicry. They are indeed eloquent, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, there are thousands of other bio-inspired technologies already developped, and many more to be invented! Biodiversity is an endless source of inspiration for innovation. Biomimicry is still very new in research and innovation methodology, which largely remains to be explored.

In general, drawing inspiration from nature for design is more of an artistic approach than a technical one. And yet, the living has been able to imagine sober and efficient designs that can largely inspire industrial design! From design to function, nature in full form! Biomimetic design: a stunning structure-function combination We used to say that biomimicry consists of drawing inspiration from the know-how of living beings, developed through 3.8 billion years of evolution, to design new technologies. Although the term design literally translates to “to conceive”, in its current French usage “design” rather refers to work on forms or appearance, often for aesthetic purposes. But in its original English meaning, “design” does include work on form, including technical work! The link between design and technology then appears much more clearly. But how does biomimicry help us create innovative designs that perform better? In reality, it is simplistic to want to split form and function. And nature has understood this! The use of particular forms to carry out biological functions is omnipresent in living things. This structure-function combination is essential for plants and animals to survive: natural selection has thus eliminated the least efficient designs during the evolutionary process. What is more, living organisms cannot rely on a wide variety of methods to perform their essential functions: no complex chemistry, no strong source of heat, little electricity, a low diversity of materials available... In a nutshell, the many shapes and structures all respond to a variety of functions, and this with little diversity of base materials! Thus, nature provides us with a pool of smart solutions, based largely on efficient structures and designs. Biomimicry was then able to exploit these designs when our modern technologies reached their limits. The classic biomimetic examples of the lotus leaf, the scales of the shark, the burdock or the kingfisher clearly demonstrate this affinity between biomimicry and design by linking structure and function. The bird of paradise, a flower on our windows? The bird of paradise is another lesser-known example of a structure-function combination in life. Don't be fooled by its name, this "bird" is actually a plant native to southern Africa! Its flower has the particularity of presenting long slender blue-purple petals, which serve as perches for birds that come to feed on nectar. The petals bend under the weight of the bird, and their gutter design then opens, revealing the stamen and depositing the pollen on the visitor's feet. This is how the bird of paradise spreads its pollen to reproduce. We can clearly see the double function of the design of these petals: firstly their elongated shape encourages birds to land on them, but above all this “gutter” design which opens mechanically under bending only exposes the pollen in time. Useful ! This petal design that opens and closes with a simple flex inspired a “Flectofin” mechanical flap design by the University of Stuttgart, which is notably employed in the One Ocean Thematic Pavilion during Expo 2012 Yeosu. One Ocean pavilion by soma architecture. The front can be opened and closed thanks to a shutter design inspired by the bird of paradise. © soma architecture © Kim Yong-Kwan Bolder designs thanks to biomimetic innovations If biomimicry allows us to imagine new designs combining structure and function, it can also allow us to push back our technical limits to explore ever more free designs! Lightweight design: the Iron Lady and her femur From the 12th century, the Gothic ogive and its famous pointed arch gradually replaced the rounded Romanesque vault and made it possible to build larger and brighter cathedrals. Progress in lightweight design, i.e. the mass-strength compromise of structures, has thus made it possible to create new architectures. Similarly, the development of metallurgy and then alloys gave rise to modern skyscrapers. Comparison between a rounded Romanesque vault and a pointed pointed arch vault. © Wikimedia Commons And that's good, living beings specialize in lightweight design! After all, what species doesn't benefit from being both tough and light to protect itself or flee? Even trees have to carry their branches to stretch far enough to catch the light. Our own bones, thanks to their porous structure, are a marvel of mechanical resistance: they are about 10 times stronger than concrete! Thus the bones, and the femur in particular, whose shape helps to better distribute the compressive stresses, inspired Maurice Koechlin for the design of the Eiffel Tower. Biomimicry has thus enabled the Iron Lady to be the tallest tower in the world for more than 40 years. Little anecdote: the structure of the Eiffel Tower is so airy that it is lighter than the cylinder of air that contains it! Since then, new lighter alloys have made it possible to push the architectural limits even further. Moreover, various recent works demonstrate that biomimicry still has its full role to play in terms of lightweight design. We then understand why architects are increasingly embarking on bio-inspired designs! User experience: knock on wood? More recently, the company Woodoo has created a very special material that may allow us to rethink the user experience (UX design) of certain everyday products. Indeed, thanks to its process, the company is able to produce a “transparent wood” very useful for imagining camouflaged screens! The material being compatible with tactile systems, it could be used in the future in car designs or in home automation for example! Design and colors: 50 shades of butterfly We already told you about it in this article, but color can be used for a wide variety of purposes in life. In humans, the color of our hair or our skin comes from a pigment: melanin. But other colors, especially blue, do not exist in pigment form! However, we find blue in a lot of species such as the peacock, the Morpho butterfly or some tarantulas. In reality, the color of these species is said to be structural, because it actually comes from complex phenomena of optical interference which are due to the very structure of the feathers, scales or hair of these species! These interferences prevent the reflection of certain colors and reinforce that of a particular color: in this case blue. By reproducing this phenomenon, certain companies such as Cypris Materials create paints which, while drying, produce the appropriate structures to create these interferences. And of course, we are not limited to blue! Ideal for colorful designs without chemicals! Generative design: building inspired by the living Another way of combining biomimicry and design consists in reproducing the iterative approach with which living things evolve towards viable solutions. The development of additive manufacturing techniques also facilitates the use of these generative design methods. Design by algorithm, how does it work? Have you ever drawn rosettes with a compass? To do this, it is enough to follow simple rules: we draw a first circle, then we draw arcs of circles of the same radius whose center is located on the initial circle. This is an example of generative design that is to say a design created from a set of precise and repeatable rules. This type of shape can therefore be very easily generated by computer! It is thus possible to impose any design rules and then automatically create several shapes that respect these rules. Combined with simulations (for example mechanical), we can then quickly test all these shapes and select one (for example the most resistant). It is even possible to use finer optimization techniques to explore different designs more quickly and efficiently! And biomimicry in all this? Well, it can intervene in two main ways: First, it can allow you to imagine the rules to be used to create a design that solves a given problem: this is called heuristics. For example, taking inspiration from the division into branches of trees can help create effective shapes to support a heavy structure with a small footprint. This is how Stuttgart airport was designed, for example! In a more abstract way, how to explore different designs in an intelligent way to quickly obtain the most effective solution possible. We then enter the field of bio-inspired algorithms, which would deserve an article on its own! Today, by misuse of language, generative design often refers to the fact of using algorithmic methods to create forms and solve an engineering problem. The method thus recalls the evolution of species and its iterative approach. In addition, the forms obtained by generative design are often much more complex than those designed by hand, and can "grow" to meet specific constraints in the way of life! A blob and a bone are on a plane… We have already mentioned the incredible properties of bones in terms of lightweight design. These performances have inspired Airbus to design lighter porous partitions for their A320s. But the most interesting is the way these partitions were designed. You guessed it: by generative design! The idea is simple: we draw a mesh of straight lines that connect the edges of the partition and we try to remove as much as possible in our final design, without degrading the mechanical performance of the part, a bit like a game of Mikado! How ? Inspired by the blob, Physarum polycephalum by its Latin name, a unicellular species capable of exploring its environment in search of food, thus creating complex but optimized networks between different sources. This fascinating species is capable of creating efficient and resilient architectures, even though it does not even have a brain! If you want more information, we recommend this ARTE documentary with researcher Audrey Dussutour. Thus, the blob can be used to connect different points on the outline of the partitions (the “food sources”) with the smallest possible set of lines. By building their bulkhead design from this set of straight beams, themselves porous like bones, Airbus has thus reduced the weight of this part by nearly 30kg (i.e. 45% of the initial weight)! Enough to save 465,000 tons of CO2 every year. Several partition designs from a set of initial lines. Their distribution is inspired by the exploration of the environment by the blob. © Airbus & David Benjamin/The Living Conclusion Thus, it is obvious that biomimicry is an essential tool for thinking up new designs that are more efficient, more ecological and more original, in particular through the use of bio-inspired generative design algorithms. Drawing inspiration from the living can also pave the way for more disruptive designs, which open up new possibilities in terms of aesthetics, interactivity, functionality, etc. Do you understand why we are fans of it at Bioxegy?

Biomimicry and sport are teammates in the race for innovation! Every year, science enables sport to push back performance standards, both humanly and technologically. Whether at sea or in the mountains, on the road or in the air: nature drives sport to innovate! Gliding sports and biomimicry : it's all about innovation! For many, the practice of sport is based on an exchange with nature: board sports, which use the environment as a support, are the perfect example! Whether it's water, air or snow, man has learned to conquer the elements over the centuries by honing his equipment and his interactions with the outside world. The living world orchestrates the movements of millions of species in constraining, even hostile, environments. This makes it an ideal ally when it comes to improving gliding sports technologies! One of the most famous examples of biomimicry concerns an innovation in the field of sports. Inspired by the shark's remarkably hydrodynamic skin, the Speedo swimwear brand developed the Fastskin collection in the 2000s... banned in 2009 by the International Swimming Federation after accompanying 108 world records the previous year! But when it comes to board sports, biomimicry has more than one trick up its sleeve. Another bio-inspired wetsuit, this time for surfers, has been developed by a team of researchers from MIT and Ecole Polytechnique. The researchers were interested in the fur of small rodents, such as otters, which have the ability to keep their skin dry and warm despite frequent bathing. The study of this phenomenon enabled them to prototype a material that combines lightness with ultra-high-performance thermal properties! The innovative feature of these animals' coats is their density, which enables them to trap micro-bubbles of air against their skin, acting as insulation during bathing. Wetsuits two to five times thinner could be designed while retaining standard mechanical properties and thermal insulation. This could lead to major savings in materials, in line with sustainable development objectives! In addition to water sports, aerial sports can benefit from biomimetic solutions to improve gliding performance. In fact, to enable flying animals to reach the stars, a wealth of biological solutions have been refined over billions of years of evolution. These represent a wealth of sober, innovative ideas for aerial gliding sports such as paragliding and hang-gliding! In this respect, dragonflies are perfect models. Indeed, their wings, which skilfully combine rigidity and flexibility, make them true pilots in flight, able to perform an immense variety of aerial manoeuvres: they would make more than one aerobatics specialist blush. Whether it's near-instantaneous changes of direction, brutal acceleration, flying backwards, vertically or even hovering, there's not a single one of these disciplines that odonates haven't mastered! To make this "sport" mode possible, dragonfly wings have a network of rigid veins that allow them to deform in preferred directions. They are fitted with small appendages that act as mechanical safety devices, protecting the wings from breaking. By replicating this sophisticated structure on artificial sails, researchers at the University of Kiel in Germany have shown that the sails' load resistance and durability can be greatly optimized. Could this be the inspiration for tomorrow's kite sails? Mountain sports and biomimicry: innovation towards the infinite and the tops! The mountains are the favorite playground of those who wish to combine sport and nature. Biomimicry is also an expert in this combination! Alpine sports, which require man to evolve in often testing environmental conditions, rely on a host of technologies that have been the subject of numerous innovations. Biomimicry: an ideal ally for innovation in high-altitude sports. Skiing, where today's equipment bears little resemblance to that used at the beginning of the last century, is a telling example of what technology can bring to sport. Bio-inspired innovation for winter sports has already proved its worth: in 2016, a team of EPFL researchers, in partnership with manufacturer Stöckli, developed biomimetic skis with optimal mechanical behavior. To achieve this, they used turtle shells as a model: these are made up of a precise assembly of rigid parts held in a flexible matrix, enabling them to combine flexibility for their breathing, and solidity to resist external shocks. Building skis with a similar structure has made it possible to improve the equipment's adaptability to the stresses applied by skiers during their descents. In other words, skis are stiffer during turns, while maintaining their maneuverability outside them. Among high-altitude activities, trail running is another sport for which biomimicry has come up with solutions that have met unanimous approval. Here again, nature is a goldmine for innovation. All terrestrial species are faced with the problem of grip, which must be mastered to perfection to ensure their survival! Mountain goats, for example, have specially-structured hooves that enable them to evolve easily in their environment, despite the steep slopes they face to feed. The edges of the hooves have a reinforced hardness that enables them to grip any holds protruding from the ground. The plantar surface, in the center, combines roughness to maximize grip, and compressibility to adapt to surface irregularities and act as a suction pad. The study of these characteristics enabled Nike to develop Goat-Tech technology in the early 2000s, long considered one of the best technologies for mountain sports shoes! Protection in sport : biomimicry, a guardian angel Romain Grosjean's accident at the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, during which the driver suffered deceleration equivalent to more than 50 times his body weight before miraculously extricating himself from his vehicle, reminded us that protection is an essential element of sport. Fortunately, biomimicry is a top-level athlete when it comes to innovating with impact... when it comes to shock absorption! To absorb blows without failing, living beings have refined numerous techniques that could be used to ensure greater safety for athletes. Let's take the example of American Football, a sport in which protective equipment is in urgent need of improvement. Indeed, the repeated shocks to which professionals are exposed during every match of their career cause them numerous medical problems, foremost among which are concussions! To design safer helmets, Ohio-based start-up Hedgemon turned its attention to animals known for their defensive posture: hedgehogs. When they drop from trees, they're capable of plummeting 10 meters without injury! To practise this very special sport safely, they rely on the thousands of quills on their backs. These famous quills have a hollow structure, enriched with striations along their length. They act as reinforcements, combining lightness and strength. In the event of a fall, the quills absorb part of the energy by deforming and distribute the rest over the hedgehogs' subcutaneous muscle layer, thus limiting the shock on landing! Based on this analysis, Hedgemon is now prototyping a layer replicating the behavior of hedgehog quills, to be inserted in helmets to better protect athletes from concussion. Another potential biological source of inspiration for shock absorption in sport is the grapefruit. This fruit, which sometimes weighs up to 6 kilograms, emancipates itself from its grapefruit tree by falling from heights of up to 15 meters, without cracking or exploding! To dissipate the energy received during its fall, the grapefruit has a very special structure. Its mesocarp, at the interface between its soft quarters and its rigid skin, is made up of pores whose density increases progressively, from the center outwards. This structure ensures continuity in the structural properties of the tissue, preventing it from exploding on landing! Numerous teams are working on the development of absorbent materials inspired by the grapefruit, including the PROSE laboratory at Texas A&M University. Sport and biomimétisme : nature, the stage for ou athletes' achievements If biomimicry can have an influence on what happens on the sports field, it's also possible to find a trail of the bio-inspired approach... in the construction of that field! Indeed, many structures have been built using nature's ingenuity, and sports infrastructures have been no exception. The next world records will be set in style! Munich's Olympic Park, a sports monument built for the 1972 Summer Games, is a perfect example. A roof made up of an assembly of steel cables, supported by Plexiglas sheets, covers numerous buildings. The structure formed by the cables is inspired by that of spider webs, optimized by millions of years of evolution to stretch over large surfaces without being weakened by their environment or their own weight. As a result, the roof's mechanical properties are optimized: it's strong and vibration-proof, yet remarkably light! What's more, its relatively simple composition makes it easy to build and economical in terms of materials, given the surface area to be covered. For the record, this stadium has played a key role in the history of French sport: Olympique de Marseille won the Champions League here in 1993. The only one to date (2021) by a French team in the competition! A more recent example of a sports facility that has benefited from the bio-inspired approach is Shanghai's Qi Zhong Stadium, which hosts the annual Shanghai Masters 1000 (Tennis Turnament). To design the roof of this stadium, architect Mitsuru Senda took inspiration from the shape of the magnolia, the city's symbolic flower, as well as from its photonasty, i.e. the way it moves its leaves to coordinate the intensity of external light with its needs. This enabled the architect to create a roof made up of 8 petals, capable of opening in 8 minutes to let in light on sunny days! From sports equipment to facilities, in the water or in the air, to improve performance or protect the body: biomimicry in sport is developing at breakneck speed!

The naked mole rat, rodent of the Bathyergidae family, has a multitude of surprising and interesting properties for the health industry: fighting cancer, slowing down aging... So many problems that are the subject of research and that the mole rat has already solved! The naked mole rat takes a bite out of life by digging tunnels Mole rats are rodents that live in East Africa. Among this family, one species stands out by its particular aspect: it is the naked mole-rat. This almost blind subterranean mammal lives in a network of tunnels that measure up to 5 km long. The naked mole-rat digs these tunnels with its teeth, a function so important to it that a quarter of its musculature is dedicated to its jaw! Moreover, it is able to move backwards as fast as forwards! Its underground lifestyle is explained by its diet. It is indeed herbivorous and particularly likes arid environments. In these dry areas, plants store most of their resources (water and nutrients) in their bulbs and roots. It is these parts that are targeted by naked mole rats. That way, they don't even need to drink. However, they show remarkable resource management: they leave part of the roots intact after they have eaten so that the plant can continue to grow. This ensures them a sustainable food source. The concentration of oxygen in the tunnels in which it lives being very low, it has developed a unique ability to survive without oxygen: it can go 18 minutes without oxygen without feeling any change! Naked mole-rat digging a tunnel with its teeth. Credits : Justin O’Riain The naked mole-rat, an animal living in very organized society The naked mole rat and the Damara mole rat are the only 2 species of eusocial mammals: they organize themselves in colonies led by a fertile individual, like bees and ants. They live in colonies of 80 individuals on average, but their number can go up to 300 individuals! They are organized around a queen and 3 reproductive males while the rest of the colony is sterile. There is a caste system, with soldiers (the largest) and workers. A study published on January 29 2021 in Science showed that each mole rat colony has its own dialect. This allows them to quickly spot intruders in the colony and to chase them away. On the other hand, when a colony is expanding, it does not hesitate to kidnap babies from neighboring colonies to make them slaves, according to a study published in the Journal Of Zoology. A naked mole-rat colony Credits : Gregory G Dimijian / Getty Images/Science Source Is the naked mole-rat holding the key to the fight cancer ? This small rodent is very resourceful and gives ideas to many researchers around the world. Indeed, it has an extraordinary longevity for a rodent: it can live up to 32 years, while mice do not live more than 4 years. This is due to its much slower metabolism which allows it to save its energy. Even stronger, it does not show metabolic signs of aging. Older individuals are just as physically strong and able to reproduce as younger ones! This is the surprising result discovered by Rochelle Buffenstein who has been studying them for more than 30 years in the journal eLife. Not only does old age not affect them, but they do not develop cancer either. They have a special gene that prevents the proliferation of cells and therefore the development of tumors. On the other hand, they have molecules of hyaluronic acid 5 times bigger than those of humans in their cells according to a study published in Nature. This molecule prevents the agglutination of cells, thus fighting again against the proliferation of cancer cells. Cell division of a cell The mole rat is therefore a message of hope for the health sector. Like the jellyfish, this rodent defies the laws of time and aging, which suggests a whole range of biotechnology possibilities for fighting cancer and other degenerative diseases. The French team of skin biology of the Cochin Institute is conducting research on the theme of skin aging: in tomorrow's world, thanks to them, no more wrinkles or skin cancers! Credits cover photo : J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester

Bioxegy celebrates its 5th anniversary! This is the opportunity to look back on the greatest successes and milestones achieved in the development of our start-up! The creation of Bioxegy, a start-up that became a pioneer in biomimicry Bioxegy is the story of a friendship. In the summer of 2017, Simon De Myttenaere introduced Sidney Rostan to biomimicry. Convinced that an expert player was needed to make the promises of bio-inspired R&D a reality, the latter launched Bioxegy in January 2018, initially as a micro-company. 🌱 Bioxegy gradually builds a business model, evolves, lands its first client, and Sidney proposes to Simon to join him in this adventure. It's done in September 2018! The two companions then decide together to move up a gear: Bioxegy Group, our parent company, is created in November 2018. 🌿 In January 2019, it is Bioxegy SAS' turn to be created. Our design office, a pioneer in innovation through biomimicry, is born and begins its development. The first Bioxegy teams: our bioxonauts and biopulsers In the spring of 2019, Bioxegy welcomes its first "biopulsers" (internal jargon for interns with us)! In January 2020, Elsa Vizier, now our scientific director, joins us and becomes our first bioxonaut (again, internal jargon for permanent staff at Bioxegy) in August 2020 🎉 Gradually, the Bioxegy family is growing: from 2 people in 2018, we are going to 6 in 2019, 10 in 2020, 15 in 2021, 20 in 2022. We even surpass the 10 bioxonauts mark 🧑‍🚀! But it is more beautiful to see in pictures ... The development and structuring of Bioxegy As of September 2019, the company is structured into five business units: Knowledge Center (in-house knowledge and skills, network of academic experts), Delivery (innovation projects with industry), Business Development, Transversal Functions and Communication. Our biological and biomimetic database (BDDBB) is born. This database grows, expands and enriches both in terms of content and connection. Today, it is rich of several thousands of information coming from all over the world! 🕸️ The creation and development of our Phased methodology To answer the complex problems of industrial partners thanks to biomimicry, we have developed a tailor-made methodology, from Phase 0 to Phase 4: Phase 0 - Seed and Ideation: to identify more precisely the most promising innovation topics correlated to the R&D needs of our partner. 🌱 Phase 1 - Biomimetic pre-study: investigation, analysis and selection of the most relevant leads and pre-concepts for our R&D partner. 🕸️ Phase 2 - Biomimetic research and design study: maturation of the selected pre-concept(s) to design a mature concept and a development roadmap ⚙️ Phase 3 - Development and Proof-of-Concept (POC): operational validation and maturation of the concept. 🧪 Phase 4 - Design and industrialization iterations: development and deployment of the innovation at industrial scale. 🏭 This phased structure allows us to select the most relevant innovation solutions in a funnel-like fashion and to progressively increase their maturity. Bioxegy's growth and development In 2020, our turnover will exceed 200k€! This is a first milestone, which allows us to confirm our business model and the potential of bio-inspired engineering and R&D! In 2022, our turnover reaches more than 0,5M€... and our full order book for the first half of 2023 propels us straight to the Million in 2023 🤞🏻 Recognition of Bioxegy's R&D and innovation potential by our industrial partners Beyond the classic projects that punctuate our daily lives, Bioxegy sometimes enters the arena of innovation competitions organized by large groups or institutions. In 2019, Bioxegy won the RATP innovation award for our work on air quality. This offers us a quality showcase and an invitation to the VivaTech exhibition, on the very booth of this regional flagship! 🐋 In 2022, Bioxegy wins the Coup de Coeur prize in the "O2 content in gas" call for projects led by GRTgaz's Open Innovation Factory. 💚 Bioxegy also wins tenders, first with Air217 in 2021, then with RTE and Naval Group in 2022 and finally in 2023 with Alstom (this article was written in January 2023 😉 !) And we don't stop there, as you can see with the projects already realized (well those we are allowed to talk about 🤫) all sectors of activity combined. Les distinctions de Bioxegy In 2019, after Simon's performance on the 697IA stage, Bioxegy just created receives the national award for industrial innovation from Agnès Pannier-Runacher, at the time Minister of Industry 🏆 ! In 2020, Bioxegy is also named in the Top 5 most promising global biomimicry startups by StartUsInsight. 🎉 In 2021, Bioxegy is finally named in the 35 most promising Greentech startups in France. 🎊 Government recognition of the quality of our R&D and innovation In 2021, Bioxegy received CIR (Research Tax Credit) approval, a guarantee of quality from the Ministry of Research and Higher Education. This is both proof that we are able to conduct R&D or innovation projects and a financial advantage for our industrial partners who obtain a tax credit equal to 30% of the total amount of projects carried out with Bioxegy. 🤑 In 2022, Bioxegy receives the status of JEI (Young Innovative Company), extremely difficult to obtain in France, awarded to the most cutting-edge national R&D start-ups and SMEs! 🎢 The first public funding to develop our own projects In 2022, Bioxegy receives its first public funding from the European Union, BPI France and the Ile de France region. Bioxegy is integrated in a 4-year project on biomineralization 🪨 within a consortium of 10 European universities and start-ups. This project is funded by the European Union in the framework of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The objective is to use biomimicry to develop an eco-material with a negative carbon footprint 🍂. In parallel, Bioxegy is conducting a feasibility study for a concept developed in-house. This project is funded by BPI France and the Ile-de-France region as part of the Innov'up scheme. For 2023, Bioxegy is in the running for new European and national funding on road resilience and for its export to other European countries! The recognition of our innovation in the press and on social networks Bioxegy makes headlines 🗞️ ! Article in Les Echos, Les Echos Planète, La Tribune, France Info, La Croix … We also intervene in the form of articles 📰, interviews 🎤 or webinars 📢 in more specialized contents such as Techniques de l’Ingénieur (with a bonus webinaire), l’Usine Nouvelle, le Think Tank Institut Sapiens et Infociments. Television 📺 is not to be outdone as we do a bi-monthly column on BSmart there, on the SmartTech show. Our engineers take turns presenting a different biomimetic innovation each time. And we are far from seeing the end of it! Sidney has also appeared on BFMTV (Tech&Co show), France 3, UshuaiaTV and on the Charabia show on Youtube. As if that wasn't enough, our teams have also presented two TEDx in 2022 (Margaux DIDI et Sidney ROSTAN) and two conferences for the Fête de la Science à la cité des Sciences et de l’industrie in 2020. To top it all off, on the occasion of our 5th anniversary, Marc Valès, Director of Space Programs at Dassault Aviation, confirms the interest of biomimicry made in Bioxegy 🤩 : “It's sometime useful to win several million years in experience just by looking and understanding nature's technological prodigies.” And you may have forgotten them, but they will come back soon: our podcast and our newsletter (inscription is on the bottom of this page !) allow us to animate a beautiful community more and more passionate ! In five years of existence, there has been beautiful successes ... But it would be forgetting that many things are on their way ! In perspectives, lots of innovation 💡 and R&D ⚙️ projects, development of new technologies internally 🧪, a great growth path 📈 and always more learning 📚, discoveries 🔍 : a lot to amaze you ! ✨ In order not to miss anything in the months and years to come, follow us on LinkedIn, we talk about everything !