by Elio
Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Foot of a Tokay Gecko showing
adhesive pads. Photo by David
Clements. Source
Recently I heard an exciting talk by biologist Dayna Baumeister, the co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild. Biomimicry, I found out, refers to the emulation of technologies used by living things for human applications. In their words: Biomimicry is the practice of developing sustainable technologies inspired by ideas from Nature. It does not mean duplicating these technologies, but rather to just harvest the ideas. Existing examples of what they mean are sticky surfaces based on gecko feet and “green” buildings inspired by passive cooling in termite mounds. Many others can be found at their web site. What I found intriguing is that this mind set recognizes that all living things have solved problems of survival via their own innovative technological developments. Biomimicry parallels, but is not the same as, those approaches that copy nature, e. g., nanotechnology and biomechanics.
Termite nests in Cape York,
Queensland, Australia. Source
Alas, biomicrists have paid scant if any attention to microbes. I found this out when I asked a question after Baumeister’s talk. Isn't this an oversight that needs remedying? I am not thinking so much of copying the flagellar motor to make nanomotors, but rather am asking what do these structures tell us about improving all motors, big and small? What do bacterial nanowires tell us about conducting electricity? What does the self-assembly of viral and bacterial or cellular structures say about constructing buildings or bridges? And so on….
Great concept. We can learn a lot from mother nature's survival technologies and growth wisdom. I like the way single cells grow - even split - and I use it as my business growth strategy.
Posted by: Benny Daon | July 27, 2008 at 10:49 AM
No worries! I'm on it! I work for the Biomimicry Guild and have been adding data into the upcoming AskNature Portal
www.AskNature.org
With a background in plant sciences and plant pathology and with some coursework (and fascination) in fungi, I am so totally in love with the little guys! No doubt about it. The toughest microbe on this earth has got to be a bacterial spore. Talk about protecting oneself! And then, there's Cryptococcus neoformans which is currently thriving on radioactive debris from the Chernobyl reactor (or what's left of it). Pseudomonas making snow and rain in the clouds? Wow. Not to fear. I'm adding them as fast as I can.
You too will be able to add your favorite microbe to the Portal. Go visit our site and see what we are up to. Cheers, Robyn
www.AskNature.org
Posted by: biomimicrysleuth | July 25, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Turn Lynn Margulis loose on 'em! She is certain that prokaryotes (sorry, Norm) were first with everything.
And she might be right!
Posted by: Mark O. Martin | July 24, 2008 at 09:20 PM
How true!! Prokaryotes have so much to teach us...yet I feel they are often under appreciated and usually over shadowed by their multicellular friends. ...poor lil guys.
Posted by: Rhea Miller | July 24, 2008 at 03:43 PM