UCR researcher working to solve technical problems with natural solutions -

Published on Saturday, May 10, 2008
By ELAINE REGUS

Imitation, inspiration and imagination abound in David Kisailus' laboratory at UC Riverside.

Abalone growing in a 500-gallon seawater system may hold the secret to creating lightweight material strong enough to protect U.S. soldiers in Iraq from roadside bombs.

The mollusks, which can control the size and shape of hundreds of thousands of tiny plates that make up their shells, could also lead scientists to develop cheaper and more environmentally friendly energy sources.

Technology mimics nature in the emerging field of biomimetics, where biological designs are used to solve problems in engineering, materials science and medicine. And Kisailus and his research group are on the leading edge.

"Nature is providing us our inspiration and then, basically, we use that as inspiration to build engineering materials," Kisailus said Read Full Article...

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