Concept Of Biomimicry Research Articles

Exploring biomimicry in agriculture focuses on how insights from natural systems can revolutionize farming practices and enhance food security

Biomimicry, a design philosophy that is based on the principles of nature, presents a promising solution to the sustainability challenges faced by modern agriculture. Biomimicry agriculture endeavours to replicate the efficacy, resilience, and sustainability of natural systems by drawing inspiration from ecosystems. By analysing agricultural challenges and identifying the biomimicry approach in previous research, this study investigates the alternative method in biomimicry to ensure a sufficient food supply for agriculture. This document examines the adoption of biomimicry in the agricultural sector. A comprehensive content analysis of four case studies that concentrated on biomimicry farming systems and their integration with agricultural design was conducted. The case study selection was determined by the concept of biomimicry, which involves the transfer of inspiration from nature to the commonplace built environment. The results indicate that the design of Biomimicry is anticipated to enhance the efficacy of agriculture and technology in terms of environmental sustainability and well-being. The urban environment can be transformed through the application of biomimicry, as evidenced by this agricultural study. In summary, biomimicry has the potential to significantly improve the sustainability and resilience of agriculture. It has the potential to create innovative solutions that improve food security, conserve natural resources, and reduce the environmental effects of cultivation.

Biomimetic Approaches to Sustainable Commercial Buildings in Nigeria: Adaptation from Natural Ecosystem

The construction and operation of commercial buildings in Nigeria pose significant challenges to sustainability, characterized by high resource consumption, energy inefficiency, and environmental degradation. This paper introduces the concept of biomimicry as a promising approach to address these challenges by drawing inspiration from nature's designs and processes (Benyus, 1997). It highlights the urgent need to transition towards environmentally conscious practices within the construction industry to mitigate the adverse impacts of commercial building activities on the environment. The study aims to explore and analyze biomimetic principles applicable to sustainable building design such as inspirations from termite mounds and rainforest canopies, evaluate their potential impact on commercial buildings in Nigeria, and propose practical applications tailored to the country's unique environmental, social, and economic contexts. The key findings of the study indicate that integrating biomimetic design principles into the construction and operation of commercial buildings in Nigeria can result in enhanced energy efficiency and a decreased environmental footprint. Biomimetic approaches inspired by natural systems, such as the temperature regulation of termite mounds (Billings, 2013), can inform the design of passive heating and cooling systems, leading to reduced energy consumption. Similarly, biomimetic designs can improve ventilation, water management, and insulation, minimizing the overall environmental impact of commercial buildings. The research provides actionable insights for architects, engineers, and policymakers, enabling them to design and construct commercial buildings that seamlessly integrate with the environment.

APPLICATION OF SKELETAL BIOMECHANICS TO STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

The concept of green construction enables a revolutionary change in construction sector in terms of design, production, and management. One such method is introducing the concept of biomimicry. Biomimicry is utilized in the field of design to solve problems. This paper mainly discusses the mimicking of human skeleton for structural design. The idea is mimicking humerus bone as a tension member and femur bone as a compression member. The optimized members of compression and tension (strut and tie) were put together to form the mimicked king post truss analytically with the conventional cross-section truss. Three cases were considered analytically with average diameter, maximum diameter, and equivalent self-weight to the members of mimicked truss, and experimentally testing with non-destructive test and point-load test. The result shows that the ultimate load-carrying capacity of critical compression member and tension member was 846.16 and 1952 kN, respectively, whereas the achieved load was 780.30 and 1729 kN. Also, the ratio of analytical stiffness to self-weight is 21.83 mm<sup>-1</sup> and the ratio of experimental stiffness to self-weight was 19.15 mm<sup>-1</sup>. Therefore, from the results it was observed that the equivalent results for mimic truss can be achieved in a truss which is modeled of equivalent self-weight. Hence, the development and use of structural elements using biomimicry is feasible and will lead to economic, green, and energy-efficient structures.

Material science: biomimetic surface enhancement

Approximately 60% of individuals who use contact lenses prefer to use frequent replacement lenses. Despite various improvements in contact lens technology, there has been minimal progress in weekly/monthly lenses. Meeting the requirements of patients who prefer frequent replacement lenses demands new technological advancements. Experts analyse the concept of biomimicry and its role in enhancing the relationship between contact lenses and the ocular surface.

Applications of Biomimicry in Architecture, Construction and Civil Engineering.

Globally, the construction sector is regarded as one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, freshwater usage, resource utilization, and solid waste generation. With a constantly growing population and increased urbanization, this is only predicted to rise. Thus, achieving sustainable development in the construction sector has become an urgent necessity. The adoption of biomimicry in the construction sector is one of the most innovative concepts towards the shift into sustainable practices in construction. However, it has been noticed that the concept of biomimicry is very broad, relatively new, and abstract. Thus, after reviewing previously conducted research on the subject, a noticeable lack of knowledge on the effective implementation of the biomimicry concept was found to be present. Therefore, this research seeks to fill this knowledge gap whereby it aims to explore the development of the biomimicry concept in the field of architecture, building construction, and civil engineering with a systematic review approach of research related to biomimicry in these three fields. This aim is guided by an objective of developing a clear understanding of the application of the biomimicry concept in architecture, building construction, and civil engineering fields. The timeframe considered for this review is between 2000 and 2022. The qualitative exploratory nature of this research focuses on reviewing databases such as Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and MDPI, as well as book chapters, editorials, and official websites to extract relevant information using an eligibility criterion of title and abstract review, inclusion of key terms, and detailed review of chosen articles. This study will improve the understanding of the biomimicry concept and how it can be applied in the built environment.

Nature inspiration, imitation, and emulation: Biomimicry thinking path to sustainability in the construction industry

The construction industry has been globally fingered as the major sector responsible for the continued deplorable state of the environment. The rising exploitation of the natural environment by the sector decapacitates the function of the flora and fauna to sustain life on earth. Therefore, the adoption and implementation of sustainability concepts in the construction industry are imperative to reduce the sector’s negative impacts on the environment. The growing field of biomimicry as a sustainability concept has increased global interest and call to maximize the numerous benefits offered by nature. This article is aimed at exploring biomimicry potentials in solving human challenges in a sustainable manner through responsible imitation, emulation, and drawing inspiration from nature. The first part of this paper explores the construction industry with rapt attention to its positive and negative impact on the human and natural environment. The second part provides a comprehensive overview of the biomimicry concept looking at its definitions, tenets, and sustainability standpoint. Finally, biomimicry inspiration, imitation, and emulation are discussed citing examples of their applications within and outside the built environment.

Biomimetic Approach for Thermal Performance Optimization in Sustainable Architecture. Case study: Office Buildings in Hot Climate Countries

Biomimicry is an applied science that mainly depends on deriving inspiration from various natural solutions to human problems for making practical applications through the study and examination of natural phenomena, designs, systems, and processes. Historically, designers have dealt with nature as an essential source of innovation and inspiration. In future architecture, biomimicry will be applied to achieve sustainable design. Thus, the paper assumes that biomimicry is an environmental solution for optimizing the thermal performance of office buildings through the building’s skin. The purpose of this paper specifically is to determine and clarify the effective indicators of applying biomimicry to the skins of office buildings in hot climate countries. This will be accomplished by discussing the general concept of biomimicry and its definitions, approaches, and levels. Then, selected examples of biomimetic skin of office buildings in hot climate countries will be shown, analyzed, and compared to determine the most effective biomimetic indicators that will be suggested to be applied to the office building skin. As a result, the effective use of biomimicry as a tool for sustainable design leads to optimizing building thermal performance, optimum thermal comfort for users, and increased productivity for employers in office buildings. Based on indicators, biomimicry as a creative approach to achieving sustainable design will support architects, students, and scholars in achieving sustainable office building design.

Inspiration from Nature: Biomimicry as a Paradigm for Architectural and Environmental Design

Nature serves as a compass for all the sciences. Nature was and continues to be the first teacher for humanity. A certain area of study advances through observing and copying nature. This area of research, known as biomimicry, can be characterized as the imitation of organic biological processes. Just like scientists and designers, architects can find inspiration in nature. Like many other professions, the realm of architectural design holds that behavior resembles nature. For instance, it is used as a source of inspiration for architectural designs, building materials, and aesthetic and environmental systems. To draw conclusions and develop solutions from nature to all fields of science and architecture, there are not enough investigations. A new field of study known as "Biomimicry" has emerged, and it is an innovation strategy that seeks sustainable solutions by modeling nature's time-tested patterns. In this context, the research paper discusses biomimicry, a recent development in the field of architecture, the idea of nature as inspiration; the concept of biomimicry, its levels, its application to architecture, and how to think about design and nature in the context of architectural sustainability.

Biomimicry Levels as Design Inspiration in Design

The relationship between design and nature has been intertwined for the past 400 years. Throughout history, designers have adopted nature to build shapes, forms, and ornamentation without understanding nature's behavior biomimicry. Nature's behavior biomimicry is a method that applies solutions to human problems by analyzing natural designs, processes, and systems. This innovative method refers to nature as an inspiration to solve design challenges. The method is the new science that studies nature as a model and inspiration to imitate the design and process of solving human problems. However, there is a lack of widespread and practical application of biomimicry as a design method; architecture commonly uses biology as a library of shapes, which is not biomimicry. Among the levels of biomimicry, the organism level is widely applied as a design tool to achieve a design solution. This paper reviews published research on the applications of biomimicry level, including its formative elements. Organism, behavior, and ecosystem level are mostly inspired or applied in the biomimicry concept. The content analysis was carried out to examine the published research articles on different perspectives of biomimicry and its application in design. The findings produce three levels of biomimicry that can serve as a regenerative design. There is a growing need for designs that work with nature to create a regenerative built environment, and designers can no longer ignore the relevance of bio-inspired theories and approaches to achieve a more sustainable future.

Reviewing biomimicry design case studies as a solution to sustainable design.

There have been many studies on bio-inspired research, where biomimicry capabilities facilitating sustainable designs are in dearth. For a sustainable design, it is necessary to consider water efficiency, zero waste, thermal environment, and energy supply. This paper investigates how biomimicry is adopted in the sustainable design of buildings. A thorough content analysis of eight case studies focused on the built environment and how biomimicry integrated with the design of a building was executed. The selection of cases study was based on the concept of biomimicry by taking inspiration from nature and applying them in the everyday built environment. Thus, the building designs are more ecologically sustainable than conventional ones, where biomimicry approaches and principles are adopted. The findings suggest that the design of a building can inspire society with new ecological morals, where understanding of biological morphogenesis can inspire design to resolve challenges and essentially help create a healthy environment. Biomimicry harnesses and replicates the principles found in nature to create a built environment that benefits people and other living creatures and safeguards biodiversity. Thus, adopting biomimicry in designing a building will help to develop a culture of active environmental design.

Biomimicry and Art

The concept of biomimicry has been used in various fields, from nanotechnology to machine intelligence, for various purposes, inspired by natural processes and organisms. The main application of biomimicry has been to produce artifacts and ideas from what we can know about what nature has already done. Many artists have devoted themselves to the development of works with poetics of hybridization and mimicry. How close would they be to biomimicry? Or would they be bioinspiration? This discussion is the starting point to present the “VIRIDIUM” project, which focuses on the development of semi-autonomous and translucent 3D-printed sculptures. In addition to the biomimicry (biomimetics), bioinspiration, and Darwinian evolution concepts, the concept of artification is also addressed as a possible model of understanding the poetic process, both in "VIRIDIUM" and in the works of the artists listed.

Biomimicry and Art: Transductions with Biology

This article discusses the concept of Biomimicry, which has been applying in many fields, from nanotechnology to robotics. It is appearing in smart materials and machinic intelligence, for diverse purposes, being inspired by natural processes and organisms. The main application of Biomimicry has been to produce artifacts and ideas from what we can know about what nature has already done. While the mimesis has been removed from the vocabulary of Art, the works of some artists are still full of possibilities to discuss under the concept of Biomimetics. Many artists have dedicated themselves to the development of works using the poiesis of hybridization and mimicry. How close they approach of Biomimetics? As examples, are brought Walmor Corrêa, Patrícia Piccinini, Liu Xue, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Alessandro Boezio, Joan Fontcoberta and Pere Formiguera. This discussion is the starting point for introduce my project “VIRIDIUM”, in which I´m developing some semiautonomous and translucent robots, printed in 3D. The poetic basis is the possibility that nature has in hybridizing and evolving, spontaneously, as well as being hybridized by genetic manipulation. I propose the development of objects / beings that do not exist in the nature but refer and simulate behaviors of those who inhabit the world, in different kingdoms of Nature. I describe the first stage of the project, which focuses the Plantae kingdom (also known as Metaphyta). Afterwards of the Biomimicry (Biomimetics) and darwinian evolution concepts I bring the concept of Artification, as a possible model of understanding the poetic process, both in “VIRIDIUM” and in the works of the artists chosen.

Regenerative agriculture as a biomimetic technology

As populations increase and economic affluence expand, conventional farmers will be unable to meet the demand for food. Two main scenarios offer different solutions. The first scenario aims to further intensify scientific- and technology-driven agriculture research. The second scenario aims to radically switch to nature-based solutions in agricultural systems. There seem to be two interpretations of the nature-based solutions scenario: on the one hand, the interpretation of the IUCN regards nature-based solutions, such as regenerative agriculture, as using nature and denies a link with biomimicry; and on the other hand, the interpretation of the EU regards regenerative agriculture as an example of biomimicry. This raises the question: is regenerative agriculture a prime example of biomimicry or is it only a very important way to use nature in agriculture? To answer this question, we take a step back and philosophically reflect on biomimicry. Based on two definitions of mimesis, we distinguish between two concepts of biomimicry, a ‘strong’ concept which emphasizes natural principles and copying natural models, and a ‘weak’ concept, which emphasizes inspiration by nature and creative invention. Secondly, we describe and analyze regenerative agriculture as part of the nature-based solutions scenario and interpret regenerative agriculture first as ‘weak’ and then as ‘strong’ biomimicry. Both interpretations have their problems. To address these, we propose a new concept of biomimicry based on a new definition of mimesis. This enable us to differentiate between biomimicry, strict imitation of nature, and nature-inspired invention. We argue that our conceptualization of biomimicry helps to operationalize regenerative agriculture as a biomimetic technology.

Biomimicry and the Built Environment, Learning from Nature’s Solutions

The growing interest in biomimicry in built environments highlights the awareness raised among designers on the potentials nature offers to human and system function improvements. Biomimicry has been widely utilized in advanced material technology. However, its potential in sustainable architecture and construction has yet to be discussed in depth. Thus, this study offers a comprehensive review of the use of biomimicry in architecture and structural engineering. It also reviews the methods in which biomimicry assists in achieving efficient, sustainable built environments. The first part of this review paper introduces the concept of biomimicry historically and practically, discusses the use of biomimicry in design and architecture, provides a comprehensive overview of the potential and benefits of biomimicry in architecture, and explores how biomimicry can be utilized in building envelops. Then, in the second part, the integration of biomimicry in structural engineering and construction is thoroughly explained through several case studies. Finally, biomimicry in architectural and structural design of built environments in creating climate-sensitive and energy-efficient design is explained.

Conductive Polymer‐Based Bioelectronic Platforms toward Sustainable and Biointegrated Devices: A Journey from Skin to Brain across Human Body Interfaces

AbstractOver the last few years, organic bioelectronics has experienced an exponential growth with applications encompassing platforms for tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, implantable, and wearable sensors. Although reducing the physical and mechanical mismatch with the human tissues allows to increase the coupling efficiency, several challenges are still open in terms of matching biological curvature, size, and interface stiffness. In this context, the replacement of bulky with more flexible and conformable devices is required, implying the transition from inorganic conventional electronics to organic electronics. Indeed, the advent of organic materials in bioelectronics, due to the indisputable benefits related to biocompatibility, flexibility, and electrical properties, has granted superior coupling properties with human tissues increasing the performances of both sensing and stimulation platforms. In this review the ease of functionalization and patterning of conductive polymers (CPs) will be analyzed as a strategy that enables the fabrication of platforms with high structural flexibility ranging from the macro to the micro/nano‐scales, leading to the increase of devices sensitivity. Drawing from the concept of biomimicry, the human body tissues interfaces will be explored through an ideal journey starting from organic platforms for epidermal sensing and stimulation. Then, devices capable of establishing a dynamic coupling with the heart will be reviewed and finally, following the circulatory system and crossing the blood‐brain barrier, the brain will be reached and novel sensing and computing implants advances that pave the way to the possibility to emulate as well as to interact with the neural functions will be analyzed.

Integration of biomimicry into science education: biomimicry teaching approach

ABSTRACT This study aims to integrate biomimicry into science education by proposing a teaching approach for primary school students. An action research approach was used. The developed ‘Biomimicry Teaching Approach’ was applied in a 5th grade classroom in a public school in Turkey where one of the authors is a teacher. According to this approach, the students firstly were presented with different kinds of organisms to develop the ability to observe organisms and understand therelationship between structure and function. Secondly, they were introduced to the biomimicry concept with several examples. Finally, the students were engaged with a ‘Biomimicry Design Model’. At the end of the biomimicry lessons, the students designed their models through drawing and modelling inspired by the organisms. The effects of the ‘Biomimicry Teaching Approach’ on student designs were analysed. Results showed that the 5th grade students mostly produced their own design ideas inspired by the organisms presented throughout the biomimicry lessons. The students’ attempts to create different designs by taking inspiration from the organisms in nature and considering the function behind the physical structure of the organisms showed that students can produce creative and applicable design ideas inspired by nature when they are introduced to biomimicry through ‘Biomimicry Teaching Approach’.

BIOMIMICRY CONCEPT FROM INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE VIEW

Biomimicry is one of the relatively contemporary concepts with substantial success. The scientific community has numerous academic studies and practical application based on biomimicry with varying degrees of participation. Despite the limited usage of biomimicryby architecture and interior architecture as compared to other fields, architectureand interior architecture have recognized features as the direct link with human and the powerful impact to demonstrate messages from nature. This paper aims to make biomimicry concept more intelligible to interior architecture interested parties, through exploring some essential points about how the biomimicry works. The research includes terminologies about biomimicry and some other related fields, concepts of biomimicry, some expressive applications in the field of architecture and interior architecture, models of direct and indirect nature's inspiration, biomimicry between form and function, the relation between biomimicry and environmental compatibility and protection, thus distinguishing cases with practical details about how biomimicry generates new ideas and encourages creativity.

Weak Microbial Metabolites: a Treasure Trove for Using Biomimicry to Discover and Optimize Drugs.

For decades, traditional drug discovery has used natural product and synthetic chemistry approaches to generate libraries of compounds, with some ending as promising drug candidates. A complementary approach has been to adopt the concept of biomimicry of natural products and metabolites so as to improve multiple drug-like features of the parent molecule. In this effort, promiscuous and weak interactions between ligands and receptors are often ignored in a drug discovery process. In this Emerging Concepts article, we highlight microbial metabolite mimicry, whereby parent metabolites have weak interactions with their receptors that then have led to discrete examples of more potent and effective drug-like molecules. We show specific examples of parent-metabolite mimics with potent effects in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we show examples of emerging microbial ligand-receptor interactions and provide a context in which these ligands could be improved as potential drugs. A balanced conceptual advance is provided in which we also acknowledge potential pitfalls-hyperstimulation of finely balanced receptor-ligand interactions could also be detrimental. However, with balance, we provide examples of where this emerging concept needs to be tested. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Microbial metabolite mimicry is a novel way to expand on the chemical repertoire of future drugs. The emerging concept is now explained using specific examples of the discovery of therapeutic leads from microbial metabolites.

MARINE RESEARCH CENTER FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY (WATER POWER)

Fossil fuels are non-renewable as they rely on finite resources that eventually diminish, becoming too expensive or harmful to recover from the environment. Renewable energy is thus considered as an alternative solution to combat this situation. The paper discusses the proposed marine research center development, which will be used as a center analysing and generating water based renewable energy. In this work, four case studies were referred for the development of the marine research center. Based on the case study analysis, the estimated gross-area for research center development was 26,400 m2 for an estimated 800 users. The proposed research center comprised of several zone, which were research center, awareness center, residential unit, administration and logistic. For this work, there sites were compared, and Site 1 which is located at Khoralkara area in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia was chosen as the proposed site, as it attained the highest evaluation score of 81. The important element of this site is that it has a pure sea environment for catching a wave, and narrow channels for tidal power. The proposed research center was designed based on the concept of biomimicry, therefore Jellyfish design was proposed. This research center will serve as an alternative energy producer to the Saudi nation.

Study on behaviour of compression members based on concept of biomimics

Biomimicry is the process of imitating nature to solve complex human problems. The concept of biomimicry can be used in different fields like material production, engineering, architecture etc. This paper is focused on structural design concept inspired by human skeleton. Structurally, Human body is a stable vertical slender element of frameworks using bones. The key idea is taken by considering the femur bone as adaptation model for columns. In this paper, the behaviour of human bone is studied using F.E.A (finite element analysis). The human bone is efficient in resisting compressive force. The modelling of real proximal human bone is done using MIMICS and is analyzed in ANSYS under compressive force. Five different shapes (Round, Square, Stepped, Tapered, Mimicked) of compression member similar to bone is modelled and analysed. The mimicked model is found to be the best fit model for further study. Fifteen different shapes of models were derived by varying the diameter to half and double along the length. The stress pattern of real bone and the models (Compression member) were compared and studied. Many models have been derived out of which a particular configuration after iteration has given an optimal stress level. A particular model with M40 grade of concrete is found suitable as optimised based on shape and stress pattern.