From feathers to fins: can we understand biological systems—and learn from them?

Abstract

Bioinspired science and engineering is on the increase—a rapid increase—if judged by the numbers of meetings, paper titles, research funding applications, etc in recent years. Why choose now to launch a journal in the area, and why not earlier? Timing is a tricky thing to get right but it is important to look ahead and make sure the journal topic is on a rising curve with a steep rate of ascent. Bioinspired engineering and biomimetics appear to be at this position on the curve of current interest. The publishers and I feel this will continue to be a growth area.