Three Major Uses of Biomimicry

Executive Summary

The purpose of this research is to deeply explore the filed of bio-mimicry, try to give

the term a more concise definition and analyze the use of it in different scientific

fields. Therefore, when the report is finished, a much clearer image of bio-mimicry

will be presented, which in return will promote the development of bio-mimicry.

There are five parts in the report. The general instruction of bio-mimicry will come at

first， in which the origin of the term， the history of the development of this field

and some major inventions in the history will be introduced. Then, the definition of

bio-mimicry will be covered. This part will include a serious academic study of the

definition of bio-mimicry. The part of definition is followed by the major use of bio-

mimicry, in which the specific use of the science will be analyzed from three aspects:

health science, engineer and nation science. In the end, the report will come to a

natural conclusion.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................12. Definition of Bio-mimicry............................................................................................................23. Major use of Bio-mimicry............................................................................................................43.1 Health science.............................................................................................................................4

3.1.1 Kidney Bio-mimicry........................................................................................................43.1.2 Bio-mimicry in Oral Health.............................................................................................4

3.2 Engineering.................................................................................................................................53.2.1 Bio-mimicry Applied in Mechanical Engineering...........................................................53.2.2 Bio-mimicry in Civil Engineering...................................................................................63.2.3 Bio-mimicry in Chemical Engineering............................................................................7

3.3 Nation science.............................................................................................................................73.3.2 Molecular Bio-mimicry...................................................................................................8

4. Conclusion....................................................................................................................................85. List of Reference.........................................................................................................................10

1. Introduction 

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The term of bio-mimicry comes from ancient Greek words: bios (life) and mimeisthai

(imitation), a closely related field of which is bionics (McCarty, 2009). Through

natural selection, many living creatures have evolved many structures which have

adapted to the nature very well. The science of bio-mimicry has intensively showed

the efforts of human beings to learn from the wisdom of the nature. One of the early

examples of bio-mimicry is the inspiration getting from birds flying to enable human

beings to fly. Leonardo da Vinci worked very hard in his life time to observe birds

flying and left numerous notes and sketches about his design of the “flying machine”

(Romei, 2008). Finally the Wright brothers made the dream of flying come true.

Besides da Vinci and the Wright brothers, there are also many influential bio-mimicry

scientists including Otto Schmitt, Jack Steele, Martin Caidin and Janine Benyus. This

report will firstly identify the definition of biomimicry. Following this, three major

uses ofbiomimicry will also be demonstrateed, which includes the usesof biomimicry

in health science, engineering and nation science. Finally, it will sum up the whole

report.

2. Definition of Bio-mimicry Bio-mimicry has a very long history of development, in which different scientists

have defined it from different perspectives, but one aspect of the connotation of bio-

mimicry has got worldwide acknowledgment. Most of the scientists agree that bio-

mimicry is a science that imitates the model, system or element in the nature to solve

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the complicate problems of human society.

Reed (2004) has further developed the definition of bio-mimicry in his work A

Paradigm Shift: Biomimicry. He argued that bio-mimicry was a new way to link the

man-made world to the natural world and that it had greatly influenced the way

people designed technological products. Figure 1 has given people new idea about

how to develop adhesive in wet environment. His core idea was that the bio-mimicry

should regard nature as a model, a standard of measure and a mentor. Therefore, the

science imitates not only nature’s products but also the process and materials of

nature.

Figure 1 Shell has provided inspiration for people to develop adhesive in the wet

environment

(From A Paradigm Shift: Bio-mimicry)

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Dischino and Foster (2006), on the other hand, thought that bio-mimicry will help

improve the quality of life and will help children to realize the relationship

between nature and human beings.

Smith (2007), in his work It’s All Nature, defined bio-mimicry as a discipline to learn

from the nature, imitate the nature an emulate the nature rather than exploit the nature.

His definition of bio-mimicry stressed the new human-nature relationship which bio-

mimicry represents.

3. Major uses of Bio-mimicry

3.1 Health science

3.1.1 Kidney Bio-mimicry

Traditionally, the study of kidney disease heavily depends on the experiments on rats

and mice and the experience gathered from the clinic. Most of the major physiological

understanding of kidney disease is obtained this way. Unfortunately, although the

needs are very urgent, there are still few breakthroughs in the prevention and

treatment of kidney disease. Stenvinkel and Johnson (2013) showed in their paper the

various ways different animals have developed to prevent or respond to the kidney

failure, therefore, human beings can learn from animals their way to protect

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themselves from hypoxia or oxidative stress and from the scourge of hyperglycemia.

By learning from nature, people can find better ways to treat the kidney disease.

3.1.2 Bio-mimicry in Oral Health

Bio-mimicry can also find its own way in improving people’s oral health. In Scientific

Investments Continue to Fuel Improvements in Oral Health (May 2000–Present)

(Slayton & Slavkin, 2009), many examples of people getting inspiration from the

animals to improve their oral health have been displayed.

3.2 Engineering 

Engineering is a very broad discipline which can be further divided into many other

disciplines including mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical

engineering, electrical engineering and etc.

3.2.1 Bio-mimicry Applied in Mechanical Engineering

Many bio-mimicry techniques have been applied in many aspects of mechanical

engineering. The examples of such applied bio-mimicry can be found almost

everywhere. One of the famous examples is the design of Japan’s Shinkansen.

According to Hargroves and Smith (2006), the air resistance noise of Shinkansen can

be reduced by the overhead panto-graph sports serrations. What’s more, the cone

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design nose of the train was inspired by the beak of the kingfisher. Following is the

picture of the design of Shinkansen:

(From Innovation Inspired by Nature: Bio-mimicry)

At the same time, many designers and engineers have constantly search in the field of

bio-mimicry for the ways to solve problems. Nature is one source of inspiration which

has been used for centuries (Volstad & Boks, 2012). In fact, nature is always a toolkit

of designers, and is the constant source of inspirations of industrial product.

3.2.2 Bio-mimicry in Civil Engineering

Bio-mimicry is also widely used in the area of civil engineering in which many

famous examples can be found. One of the famous examples is the passive cooling

systems in buildings in Zimbabwe, which is located in Eastgate Complex, Harere. The

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building includes two 9-storey office buildings and a glazed atrium. Natural

ventilation is the cooling system of the building with specially hooded windows,

variable thick walls and light color paints (Hargroves & Smith, 2006). It has

successfully cooled the whole building in Zimbabwe’s extremely hot weather.

3.2.3 Bio-mimicry in Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering has also got a lot of inspirations from the natural world.

Lotuses leaves have give inspiration to the German company, Sto AG. It has

developed a bio-mimicry exterior coat and the coat has water-repellant surface just

like lotus leaves like figure 3 (Hargroves & Smith, 2006).

Figure 3: The hydrophobic surface structure of the lotus leaf has inspired the German

company to develop a self-cleaning paint.

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(From Innovation Inspired by Nature: Bio-mimicry)

3.3 Nation science

3.3.1 Bio-mimicry in dendrimers

Over the last few years, the utilization of dendrimers in bio-mimicry has received a lot

of attention, far beyond other polymers and oligomers. The reason why the bio-mimic

use of dendrimers gets so much attention lies in the quality of dentrimers itself (Jang

et al., 2008). Many scientists have gathered inspiration from the natural world to

improve the quality of dendrimers. The work of Jang and his colleagues Bioinspired

Application of Dendrimers: From Bio-mimicry to Biomedical Applications has

argued that nowadays the development of dendrimers has got a lot inspiration from

bio-mimicry.

3.3.2 Molecular Bio-mimicry

Molecular mimicry is another important use of bio-mimicry. In the work The Human

Major Histocompatibility Complex and Childhood Leukemia: An Etiological

Hypothesis Based on Molecular Mimicry, Taylor (2009) and his colleagues have

showed that molecular mimicry will help children deal with leukemia.

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4. ConclusionThe report has managed to give a full image of bio-mimicry, which starts from the

general introduction of bio-mimicry, then the definition and the major use. The

general introduction of bio-mimicry includes the origin of bio-mimicry, especially the

origin of the word, the history of bio-mimicry. The examples of da Vinci and the

Wright brothers are involved. And the major scientists of bio-mimicry are also

introduced in this part. Then the definition of bio-mimicry is followed. The most

acknowledged connotation of bio-mimicry is presented in the part. And then the

definitions of bio-mimicry presented by three different scientists are also analyzed.

Next, the major use of bio-mimicry is analyzed from three aspects including health

science, engineering and nation science. In health science, there are two examples,

bio-mimicry in kidney disease and in oral health. In engineering, the use of bio-

mimicry is analyzed from three branches of engineering, mechanical engineering,

civil engineering and chemical engineering. Finally, the report also has an exploration

on how bio-mimicry is used in the field of nation science.

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5. List of Reference 

Dischino, M. & Foster, P. N., 2006, ‘Nature: the Mother of All Engineers’,

Technology & Children, 11 (2), p.8.

Hargroves, K. & Smith, M. H., 2006, ‘Innovation Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry’,

Ecos. pp. 27-29, viewed 25 July, 2014,

<http://www.naturaledgeproject.net/documents/biomimicry_000.pdf > .

Jang, W. D., Selim, K. K. M., Lee, C. H., and Kang. I. K., 2008, ‘Bioinspired

application of dendrimers: From bio-mimicry to biomedical applications’,

Progress in Polymer Science, 34(1), pp. 1-23, viewed 25 July, 2014,

<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670008000749>

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McCarty, M., 2009, ‘Life of bionics founder a fine adventure’, Dayton Daily News,

9(6), pp. 383-385

Reed, A. P., 2004, ‘A paradigm shift: Biomimicry’, The Technology Teacher, vol. 63,

no. 4, pp. 23-27, viewed 18 June, 2014,

<http://www.naturaledgeproject.net/documents/biomimicry_000.pdf >.

Romei, F., 2008, Leonardo Da Vinci, The Oliver Press. p. 56.

Slayton, R. L., & Slavkin, H.C., 2009, Scientific Investments Continue to Fuel

Improvements in Oral Health (May 2000–Present), Academic Pediatrics.

Smith, J., 2007, ‘It’s All Nature’, Ecologist. 37(8), p.52

Stenvinkel, P., & Johnson, R. J., 2013, ‘Kidney Biomimicry—A Rediscovered

Scientific Field That Could Provide Hope to Patients with Kidney

Disease’, .Archives of Medical Research, 44(8), pp.584-590

Taylor, M., Hussain, A., Urayama. K., Chokkalingam. A., Thompson. P.,

Trachtenberg. E., and Buffler. P., 2009, ‘The Human Major Histocompatibility

Complex and Childhood Leukemia: An Etiological Hypothesis Based on

Molecular Mimicry’, Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 42(2), pp.129-

135.

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Volstad, N. L., and Boks, C., 2012, ‘On the use of Biomimicry as a Useful Tool for

the Industrial Designer’, Sustainable Development, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 189-199

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