Above left are “nanobristles” inspired by the surface of sea urchins. Harvard materials scientist Joanna Aizenberg makes them out of resin. Each strand is about 100 nanometers in diameter, or 1000 times thinner than a human hair. Eventually, this stunning example of biomimicry could lead to a new kind of glue or drug delivery system. From Technology Review:
(The nanobristles) spontaneously curl into a precise array of helical bundles when immersed in an evaporating liquid. AAizenberg likens the phenomena to the way wet, curly hair clumps together and coils to form dreadlocks…
As they twist together, the nanoscale bristles can capture nearby particles (image avbove right), a property that could be used to develop novel adhesives or a method for capturing and releasing drugs at specific sites within the body. The structures could also be used for their optical properties, says Aizenberg. As the distances between the bristles shrinks or expands, the optical properties of the material changes from reflective to nonreflective.
Mimicking the Building Prowess of Nature