Scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to Nature as a source of inspiration. Here at UC Berkeley, for example, scientists and engineers are studying and “reverse engineering” the ability of geckos walk up walls, the precise binding of antibodies and antigens, the compound eyes of dragonflies, the ability of diatoms to synthesize nanoscale 3-D silica structures from sea water at room temperature, and how insects run, bypass obstacles, and navigate with only the tiniest of brains.
Describe a new idea for a research project that is inspired by living systems.
To encourage plenty of new ideas, we will be organizing a “speed dating” session for interdisciplinary research. Groups of interested students from a variety of backgrounds will meet, and will have a short period of time to generate ideas for potential research projects. For example, a biologist might describe some natural functionality that exists at the molecular, cellular, or organismal level, and a physical scientist, engineer, or MBA student might describe how this function might inform the design of materials, devices, systems, or services.
To participate in this session, send us an e-mail at bioinspire@gmail.com with your name, contact information, and a paragraph on your interests in bio-inspired innovation.