Biomimetics

13 pages, 3525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Matrix Nanopatterning Regulates Mesenchymal Differentiation through Focal Adhesion Size and Distribution According to Cell Fate

by Ignasi Casanellas, Anna Lagunas, Yolanda Vida, Ezequiel Pérez-Inestrosa, José A. Andrades, José Becerra and Josep Samitier

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020043 - 25 Jun 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7492

Abstract

Extracellular matrix remodeling plays a pivotal role during mesenchyme patterning into different lineages. Tension exerted from cell membrane receptors bound to extracellular matrix ligands is transmitted by the cytoskeleton to the cell nucleus inducing gene expression. Here, we used dendrimer-based arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) [...] Read more.

Extracellular matrix remodeling plays a pivotal role during mesenchyme patterning into different lineages. Tension exerted from cell membrane receptors bound to extracellular matrix ligands is transmitted by the cytoskeleton to the cell nucleus inducing gene expression. Here, we used dendrimer-based arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) uneven nanopatterns, which allow the control of local surface adhesiveness at the nanoscale, to unveil the adhesive requirements of mesenchymal tenogenic and osteogenic commitments. Cell response was found to depend on the tension resulting from cell–substrate interactions, which affects nuclear morphology and is regulated by focal adhesion size and distribution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Nanotechnology for Biomedical Applications—Selected Papers from NanoBio&Med 2018)

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11 pages, 6016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cupric Oxide Nanostructures from Plasma Surface Modification of Copper

by Hernando S. Salapare III, Juvy A. Balbarona, Léo Clerc, Pierre Bassoleil, Arnaud Zenerino, Sonia Amigoni and Frédéric Guittard

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020042 - 25 Jun 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4903

Abstract

Taking inspiration from the hydrophilic and superhydrophilic properties observed from the nanostructures present on the leaves of plants such as Alocasia odora, Calathea zebrina, and Ruelia devosiana, we were able to synthesize cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures from the plasma surface [...] Read more.

Taking inspiration from the hydrophilic and superhydrophilic properties observed from the nanostructures present on the leaves of plants such as Alocasia odora, Calathea zebrina, and Ruelia devosiana, we were able to synthesize cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures from the plasma surface modification of copper (Cu) that exhibits hydrophilic and superhydrophilic properties. The Cu sheets were exposed to oxygen plasma produced from the P300 plasma device (Alliance Concept, Cran-Gevrier, France) at varying power, irradiation times, gas flow rates, and pulsing duty cycles. The untreated and plasma-treated Cu sheets were characterized by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the changes in the surface of Cu before and after plasma treatment. Results showed that plasma-treated Cu sheets exhibited enhanced wetting properties compared to untreated Cu. We attributed the decrease in the measured water contact angles after plasma treatment to increased surface roughness, formation of CuO nanostructures, and transformation of Cu to either CuO₂ or Cu₂O₃. The presence of the CuO nanostructures on the surface of Cu is very useful in terms of its possible applications, such as: (1) in antimicrobial and anti-fouling tubing; (2) in the improvement of heat dissipation devices, such as microfluidic cooling systems and heat pipes; and (3) as an additional protection to Cu from further corrosion. This study also shows the possible mechanisms on how CuO, CuO₂, and Cu₂O₃ were formed from Cu based on the varying the plasma parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from N.I.C.E. 2018)

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20 pages, 11008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controlling the Antimicrobial Action of Surface Modified Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles

by Ahmed F. Halbus, Tommy S. Horozov and Vesselin N. Paunov

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020041 - 25 Jun 2019

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 6033

Abstract

Magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles (Mg(OH)₂NPs) have recently attracted significant attention due to their wide applications as environmentally friendly antimicrobial nanomaterials, with potentially low toxicity and low fabrication cost. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterisation of a range of surface modified Mg(OH) [...] Read more.

Magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles (Mg(OH)₂NPs) have recently attracted significant attention due to their wide applications as environmentally friendly antimicrobial nanomaterials, with potentially low toxicity and low fabrication cost. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterisation of a range of surface modified Mg(OH)₂NPs, including particle size distribution, crystallite size, zeta potential, isoelectric point, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We explored the antimicrobial activity of the modified Mg(OH)₂NPs on the microalgae (C. reinhardtii), yeast (S. cerevisiae) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The viability of these cells was evaluated for various concentrations and exposure times with Mg(OH)₂NPs. It was discovered that the antimicrobial activity of the uncoated Mg(OH)₂NPs on the viability of C. reinhardtii occurred at considerably lower particle concentrations than for S. cerevisiae and E. coli. Our results indicate that the antimicrobial activity of polyelectrolyte-coated Mg(OH)₂NPs alternates with their surface charge. The anionic nanoparticles (Mg(OH)₂NPs/PSS) have much lower antibacterial activity than the cationic ones (Mg(OH)₂NPs/PSS/PAH and uncoated Mg(OH)₂NPs). These findings could be explained by the lower adhesion of the Mg(OH)₂NPs/PSS to the cell wall, because of electrostatic repulsion and the enhanced particle-cell adhesion due to electrostatic attraction in the case of cationic Mg(OH)₂NPs. The results can be potentially applied to control the cytotoxicity and the antimicrobial activity of other inorganic nanoparticles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Bioinspired Materials 2018)

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13 pages, 3832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Citric Acid Tunes the Formation of Antimicrobial Melanin-Like Nanostructures

by Pietro Melone, Giuseppe Vitiello, Michela Di Napoli, Anna Zanfardino, Maria Federica Caso, Brigida Silvestri, Mario Varcamonti, Gerardino D’Errico and Giuseppina Luciani

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020040 - 30 May 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4138

Abstract

Nature has provided a valuable source of inspiration for developing high performance multifunctional materials. Particularly, catechol-containing amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) has aroused the interest to design hybrid multifunctional materials with superior adhesive ability. DOPA oxidative polymerization mediated by either melanogenic [...] Read more.

Nature has provided a valuable source of inspiration for developing high performance multifunctional materials. Particularly, catechol-containing amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) has aroused the interest to design hybrid multifunctional materials with superior adhesive ability. DOPA oxidative polymerization mediated by either melanogenic enzymes or an alkaline environment involving catechol intermolecular cross-linking, ultimately leads to melanin oligomers. Recently, relevant studies disclosed the ability of Ti-based nanostructures to tune melanin’s supramolecular structure during its formation, starting from melanogenic precursors, thus improving both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In this work, we propose a novel biomimetic approach to design hybrid DOPA melanin-like nanostructures through a hydrothermal synthesis opportunely modified by using citric acid to control hydrolysis and condensation reactions of titanium alkoxide precursors. UV-Vis and Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic evidences highlighted the key role of citrate–Ti(IV) and DOPA–Ti(IV) complexes in controlling DOPA polymerization, which specifically occurred during the hydrothermal step, mediating and tuning its conversion to melanin-like oligomers. Trasmission electron microscopy (TEM) images proved the efficacy of the proposed synthesis approach in tuning the formation of nanosized globular nanostructures, with high biocide performances. The obtained findings could provide strategic guidelines to set up biomimetic processes, exploiting the catechol-metal complex to obtain hybrid melanin-like nanosystems with optimized multifunctional behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from N.I.C.E. 2018)

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17 pages, 428 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Post-Filtering of Artificial Speech Using Pre-Trained LSTM Neural Networks

by Marvin Coto-Jiménez

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020039 - 28 May 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3501

Abstract

Several researchers have contemplated deep learning-based post-filters to increase the quality of statistical parametric speech synthesis, which perform a mapping of the synthetic speech to the natural speech, considering the different parameters separately and trying to reduce the gap between them. The Long [...] Read more.

Several researchers have contemplated deep learning-based post-filters to increase the quality of statistical parametric speech synthesis, which perform a mapping of the synthetic speech to the natural speech, considering the different parameters separately and trying to reduce the gap between them. The Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) Neural Networks have been applied successfully in this purpose, but there are still many aspects to improve in the results and in the process itself. In this paper, we introduce a new pre-training approach for the LSTM, with the objective of enhancing the quality of the synthesized speech, particularly in the spectrum, in a more efficient manner. Our approach begins with an auto-associative training of one LSTM network, which is used as an initialization for the post-filters. We show the advantages of this initialization for the enhancing of the Mel-Frequency Cepstral parameters of synthetic speech. Results show that the initialization succeeds in achieving better results in enhancing the statistical parametric speech spectrum in most cases when compared to the common random initialization approach of the networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Intelligence)

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20 pages, 7876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dermal Denticles of Three Slowly Swimming Shark Species: Microscopy and Flow Visualization

by Katrine Feld, Anne Noer Kolborg, Camilla Marie Nyborg, Mirko Salewski, John Fleng Steffensen and Kirstine Berg-Sørensen

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020038 - 24 May 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9108

Abstract

Shark skin has for many years inspired engineers to produce biomimetic structures reducing surface drag or acting as an anti-fouling layer. Both effects are presumed to be consequences of the structure of shark skin that is composed of arrays of so-called dermal denticles. [...] Read more.

Shark skin has for many years inspired engineers to produce biomimetic structures reducing surface drag or acting as an anti-fouling layer. Both effects are presumed to be consequences of the structure of shark skin that is composed of arrays of so-called dermal denticles. However, the understanding of the full functional role of the dermal denticles is still a topic of research. We report optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of dermal denticles from three slowly swimming shark species for which the functional role of the dermal denticles is suggested as one of defense (possibly understood as anti-fouling) and/or abrasion strength. The three species are Greenland shark (Somnosius microcephalus), small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) and spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Samples were taken at over 30 different positions on the bodies of the sharks. In addition, we demonstrate that the flow pattern near natural shark skin can be measured by micro-PIV (particle image velocimetry). The microfluidic experiments are complemented by numerical flow simulations. Both visualize unsteady flow, small eddies, and recirculation bubbles behind the natural dermal denticles. Full article

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14 pages, 3791 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructural Surface Properties of Drifting Seeds—A Model for Non-Toxic Antifouling Solutions

by Antje Clasen and Antonia B. Kesel

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020037 - 13 May 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4283

Abstract

A major challenge in the shipping and marine industry is the biofouling on under water surfaces. So far, biocides have been the main remedy for the prevention of the adhesion of microorganisms that is also influenced by surface topography. In recent years, research [...] Read more.

A major challenge in the shipping and marine industry is the biofouling on under water surfaces. So far, biocides have been the main remedy for the prevention of the adhesion of microorganisms that is also influenced by surface topography. In recent years, research projects have explored microstructured surfaces as a non-toxic antifouling strategy. In this study, physical factors of surfaces of seeds of 43 plant species were analyzed with regards to their antifouling effects. After exposure to cold water of the North Sea during the swarming periods of the barnacles larvae, the surface microstructures of seeds without fouling of barnacles were identified and compared with each other, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In order to validate the findings, selected microstructured surface structure properties were transferred to technical surfaces with a 2-component silicon system and subjected to the same conditions. The results of the analyses confirmed that drifting seeds with specific microstructural surface structure properties promote biofouling defense of epibionts. These results serve as a starting point for the development of non-toxic antifouling agents based on the interaction of microstructures and geometric shapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from N.I.C.E. 2018)

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13 pages, 1681 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Highly Stretchable, Tough, Fast Self-Healing Hydrogel Based on Peptide–Metal Ion Coordination

by Liang Zeng, Mingming Song, Jie Gu, Zhengyu Xu, Bin Xue, Ying Li and Yi Cao

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020036 - 10 May 2019

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 7289

Abstract

Metal coordination bonds are widely used as the dynamic cross-linkers to construct self-healing hydrogels. However, it remains challenging to independently improve the toughness of metal coordinated hydrogels without affecting the stretchability and self-healing properties, as all these features are directly correlated with the [...] Read more.

Metal coordination bonds are widely used as the dynamic cross-linkers to construct self-healing hydrogels. However, it remains challenging to independently improve the toughness of metal coordinated hydrogels without affecting the stretchability and self-healing properties, as all these features are directly correlated with the dynamic properties of the same metal coordination bonds. In this work, using histidine–Zn²⁺ binding as an example, we show that the coordination number (the number of binding sites in each cross-linking ligand) is an important parameter for the mechanical strength of the hydrogels. By increasing the coordination number of the binding site, the mechanical strength of the hydrogels can be greatly improved without sacrificing the stretchability and self-healing properties. By adjusting the peptide and Zn²⁺ concentrations, the hydrogels can achieve a set of demanding mechanical features, including the Young’s modulus of 7–123 kPa, fracture strain of 434–781%, toughness of 630–1350 kJ m⁻³, and self-healing time of ~1 h. We anticipate the engineered hydrogels can find broad applications in a variety of biomedical fields. Moreover, the concept of improving the mechanical strength of metal coordinated hydrogels by tuning the coordination number may inspire the design of other dynamically cross-linked hydrogels with further improved mechanical performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenic and Bioinspired Self-Healing Materials)

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13 pages, 1413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Directed Evolution and Engineering of Gallium-Binding Phage Clones—A Preliminary Study

by Nora Schönberger, Christina Zeitler, Robert Braun, Franziska L. Lederer, Sabine Matys and Katrin Pollmann

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020035 - 08 May 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3775

Abstract

The phage surface display technology is a useful tool to screen and to extend the spectrum of metal-binding protein structures provided by nature. The directed evolution approach allows identifying specific peptide ligands for metals that are less abundant in the biosphere. Such peptides [...] Read more.

The phage surface display technology is a useful tool to screen and to extend the spectrum of metal-binding protein structures provided by nature. The directed evolution approach allows identifying specific peptide ligands for metals that are less abundant in the biosphere. Such peptides are attractive molecules in resource technology. For example, gallium-binding peptides could be applied to recover gallium from low concentrated industrial wastewater. In this study, we investigated the affinity and selectivity of five bacteriophage clones displaying different gallium-binding peptides towards gallium and arsenic in independent biosorption experiments. The displayed peptides were highly selective towards Ga³⁺ whereby long linear peptides showed a lower affinity and specificity than those with a more rigid structure. Cysteine scanning was performed to determine the relationship between secondary peptide structure and gallium sorption. By site-directed mutagenesis, the amino acids of a preselected peptide sequence are systematically replaced by cysteines. The resulting disulphide bridge considerably reduces the flexibility of linear peptides. Subsequent biosorption experiments carried out with the mutants obtained from cysteine scanning demonstrated, depending on the position of the cysteines in the peptide, either a considerable increase in the affinity of gallium compared to arsenic or an increase in the affinity for arsenic compared to gallium. This study shows the impressive effect on peptide–target interaction based on peptide structure and amino acid position and composition via the newly established systematic cysteine scanning approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from N.I.C.E. 2018)

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19 pages, 13452 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Studio One: A New Teaching Model for Exploring Bio-Inspired Design and Fabrication

by Simon Schleicher, Georgios Kontominas, Tanya Makker, Ioanna Tatli and Yasaman Yavaribajestani

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020034 - 29 Apr 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 9634

Abstract

The increasing specialization in architecture has clearly left its marks not only on the general profession but also on architectural education. Many universities around the world react to this development by offering primarily conventional and overly discipline-specific courses that often lack bold new [...] Read more.

The increasing specialization in architecture has clearly left its marks not only on the general profession but also on architectural education. Many universities around the world react to this development by offering primarily conventional and overly discipline-specific courses that often lack bold new concepts. To remedy this situation, the authors propose an alternative teaching model called Studio One, which seeks to facilitate new dynamic links between architecture and other disciplines based on the interplay between fundamental research, design exploration, and practical application. The goal is to develop an interdisciplinary, collaborative design training that encompasses the best that nature has to teach us, realized through the technology that humans have achieved. At the core of this class is the study of biological structures and the development of bio-inspired construction principles for architectural design. Both aspects are rich sources of innovation and can play an important role in the training of future architects and engineers. This paper seeks to provide a coherent progress report. After a brief introduction to the general objectives of Studio One, the authors will specify the methods and 21st century skills that students learned during this class. Relying on four student capstone projects as examples, the paper will then go into more detail on how natural structures can inspire a new design process, in which students abstract basic biomimetic principles and transfer them into the construction of architectural prototypes and pavilions. Finally, the authors conclude by discussing the particular successes and challenges facing this teaching model and identify the key improvements that may give this program an even bigger impact in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proto-Architecture and Unconventional Biomaterials)

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13 pages, 1304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cell Culture Platforms with Controllable Stiffness for Chick Embryonic Cardiomyocytes

by María Luisa Durán-Pastén, Daniela Cortes, Alan E. Valencia-Amaya, Santiago King, Gertrudis Hortensia González-Gómez and Mathieu Hautefeuille

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020033 - 27 Apr 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3745

Abstract

For several years, cell culture techniques have been physiologically relevant to understand living organisms both structurally and functionally, aiming at preserving as carefully as possible the in vivo integrity and function of the cells. However, when studying cardiac cells, glass or plastic Petri [...] Read more.

For several years, cell culture techniques have been physiologically relevant to understand living organisms both structurally and functionally, aiming at preserving as carefully as possible the in vivo integrity and function of the cells. However, when studying cardiac cells, glass or plastic Petri dishes and culture-coated plates lack important cues that do not allow to maintain the desired phenotype, especially for primary cell culture. In this work, we show that microscaffolds made with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) enable modulating the stiffness of the surface of the culture substrate and this originates different patterns of adhesion, self-organization, and synchronized or propagated activity in the culture of chick embryonic cardiomyocytes. Thanks to the calcium imaging technique, we found that the substrate stiffness affected cardiomyocyte adhesion, as well as the calcium signal propagation in the formed tissue. The patterns of activity shown by the calcium fluorescence variations are reliable clues of the functional organization achieved by the cell layers. We found that PDMS substrates with a stiffness of 25 kPa did not allow the formation of cell layers and therefore the optimal propagation of the intracellular calcium signals, while softer PDMS substrates with Young’s modulus within the physiological in vivo reported range did permit synchronized and coordinated contractility and intracellular calcium activity. This type of methodology allows us to study phenomena such as arrhythmias. For example, the occurrence of synchronized activity or rotors that can initiate or maintain cardiac arrhythmias can be reproduced on different substrates for study, so that replacement tissues or patches can be better designed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers the Mechanobiology in Biomimetics 2018 Annual Symposium)

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20 pages, 2248 KiB

Open AccessReview

Interaction Between Chitosan and Mucin: Fundamentals and Applications

by Mar Collado-González, Yadira González Espinosa and Francisco M. Goycoolea

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020032 - 25 Apr 2019

Cited by 92 | Viewed by 6826

Abstract

The term chitosan (CS) refers to a family of aminopolysaccharides derived from chitin. Among other properties, CS is nontoxic, mucoadhesive and can be used for load and transport drugs. Given these and other physicochemical and biological properties, CS is an optimal biopolymer for [...] Read more.

The term chitosan (CS) refers to a family of aminopolysaccharides derived from chitin. Among other properties, CS is nontoxic, mucoadhesive and can be used for load and transport drugs. Given these and other physicochemical and biological properties, CS is an optimal biopolymer for the development of transmucosal drug delivery systems, as well as for the treatment of pathologies related to mucosal dysfunctions. Mucins are glycoprotein macromolecules that are the major components of mucus overlaying epithelia. CS interacts with mucin and adsorbs on and changes the rheology of mucus. However, CS and mucins denote families of polymers/macromolecules with highly variable chemical structure, properties, and behavior. To date, their interactions at the molecular level have not been completely unraveled. Also, the properties of complexes composed of CS and mucin vary as a function of the sources and preparation of the polymers. As a consequence, the mucoadhesion and drug delivery properties of such complexes vary as well. The breadth of this review is on the molecular interactions between CS and mucin. In particular, in vitro and ex vivo characterization methods to investigate both the interactions at play during the formation of CS-mucin complexes, and the advances on the use of CS for transmucosal drug delivery are addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitin- and Chitosan-Based Composite Materials)

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23 pages, 2669 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

A Systematic Study on Design Initiation of Conceptual 3DPVS

by Haobo Yuan and Ke Xing

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020031 - 11 Apr 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3209

Abstract

An important product in biomedical and biomimetic engineering is the 3D scaffold, which mimics the real tissue in vitro to achieve the external cultivation of cells. The difference between the 3D scaffold and other biomimetic products lies in the fact that the former [...] Read more.

An important product in biomedical and biomimetic engineering is the 3D scaffold, which mimics the real tissue in vitro to achieve the external cultivation of cells. The difference between the 3D scaffold and other biomimetic products lies in the fact that the former mimics the internal features of tissue, while the latter generally approximates the external traits of biological beings. In the field of scaffold engineering, the 3D printed vibratory scaffold, 3DPVS, has been proposed as a present-to-future novel scaffold product, and it currently stays at the stage of conceptual development. To achieve the novel design of the conceptual 3DPVS, a conceptual design process has been established by authors in their previous work, which contain three main stages, namely the design initiation, concept generation, and concept evaluation. In terms of design initiation, it is a ‘must-accomplish’ stage which generates outputs for both the subsequent concept generation and evaluation. Work of design initiation therefore is of significant value and it consists of several tasks; that is, conducting a thorough literature review, summarizing the fundamental issues preparing the general conceptual design, studying the multi-characterization of the 3DPVS, putting forward the potential base model(s), as well as indicating the ideality of the scaffold and establishing potential ideal model(s) for the 3DPVS. In this paper, design initiation will be chiefly focused upon these essential aspects to be discussed, work of which is expected to be useful in establishing a solid ground for future innovation work of the 3DPVS. Full article

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19 pages, 4672 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bioinspired Metal–Polyphenol Materials: Self-Healing and Beyond

by Amanda Andersen, Yaqing Chen and Henrik Birkedal

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020030 - 04 Apr 2019

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 8920

Abstract

The blue mussel incorporates the polyphenolic amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to achieve self-healing, pH-responsiveness, and impressive underwater adhesion in the byssus threads that ensure the survival of the animal. This is achieved by a pH-dependent and versatile reaction chemistry of polyphenols, including [...] Read more.

The blue mussel incorporates the polyphenolic amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to achieve self-healing, pH-responsiveness, and impressive underwater adhesion in the byssus threads that ensure the survival of the animal. This is achieved by a pH-dependent and versatile reaction chemistry of polyphenols, including both physical interactions as well as reversible and irreversible chemical bonding. With a short introduction to the biological background, we here review the latest advances in the development of smart materials based on the metal-chelating capabilities of polyphenols. We focus on new ways of utilizing the polyphenolic properties, including studies on the modifications of the nearby chemical environment (on and near the polyphenolic moiety) and on the incorporation of polyphenols into untraditional materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenic and Bioinspired Self-Healing Materials)

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9 pages, 2967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cell Shape and Surface Colonisation in the Diatom Genus Cocconeis—An Opportunity to Explore Bio-Inspired Shape Packing?

by Timothy Sullivan

Biomimetics 2019, 4(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics4020029 - 31 Mar 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4015

Abstract

Optimal packing of 2 and 3-D shapes in confined spaces has long been of practical and theoretical interest, particularly as it has been discovered that rotatable ellipses (or ellipsoids in the 3-D case) can, for example, have higher packing densities than disks (or [...] Read more.

Optimal packing of 2 and 3-D shapes in confined spaces has long been of practical and theoretical interest, particularly as it has been discovered that rotatable ellipses (or ellipsoids in the 3-D case) can, for example, have higher packing densities than disks (or spheres in the 3-D case). Benthic diatoms, particularly those of the genus Cocconeis (Ehr.)—which are widely regarded as prolific colonisers of immersed surfaces—often have a flattened (adnate) cell shape and an approximately elliptical outline or “footprint” that allows them to closely contact the substratum. Adoption of this shape may give these cells a number of advantages as they colonise surfaces, such as a higher packing fraction for colonies on a surface for more efficient use of limited space, or an increased contact between individual cells when cell abundances are high, enabling the cells to minimize energy use and maximize packing (and biofilm) stability on a surface. Here, the outline shapes of individual diatom cells are measured using scanning electron and epifluorescence microscopy to discover if the average cell shape compares favourably with those predicted by theoretical modelling of efficient 2-D ellipse packing. It is found that the aspect ratio of measured cells in close association in a biofilm—which are broadly elliptical in shape—do indeed fall within the range theoretically predicted for optimal packing, but that the shape of individual diatoms also differ subtly from that of a true ellipse. The significance of these differences for optimal packing of 2-D shapes on surfaces is not understood at present, but may represent an opportunity to further explore bio-inspired design shapes for the optimal packing of shapes on surfaces. Full article

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Biomimetics, Volume 4, Issue 2 (June 2019) – 15 articles

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