Postdoctoral researcher @ Aix-Marseille University
Nature-inspired technologies
The term “nature-inspired” refers to efforts to understand, synthesize, and emulate natural objects or phenomena to improve our insights and innovations. These efforts enhance our comprehension of nature and enable the creation of innovative materials, processes, and designs. Nowadays, there are many nature-inspired products available in the market. Such inspiration can come from natural processes, such as water filtration inspired by aquaporins; natural properties, such as found in burrs, which gave rise to the invention of Velcro; or natural designs, such as the Lotus temple in India, which resemble the flower. The open question that I would like to address is, “Could you take inspiration from natural processes to propose a new technology able to deal with challenges in our society?” I will introduce an example based on a recent European Project called BoostCrop. In this project, we proposed thermal blanket molecules that can protect plants against cold stress and, therefore, be used as a spray on crops in order to increase food production.
1. https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/451047-thermal-blanket-molecules-protect-plants-against-cold-snaps?WT.mc_id=exp
