By Lexi Tassone, Alliance Intern from Rutgers University ‘26
Learning from nature may be the key to creating technologies and systems that can help people live sustainably. Biomimicry is the field of designing technologies, processes and systems based on nature and biological processes. Biologist Janine Benyus, who elevated the concept to worldwide recognition through her revolutionary book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, describes it as a shift from learning about nature to learning from nature. These principles can apply to many fields, from fashion to architecture and engineering.
Interface uses biomimicry to design its sustainable tile carpeting. Inspired by the structure of a gecko’s toes, their TacTiles stick to the corners of four tiles to hold the carpeting down, thereby eliminating the need for toxic chemical adhesives. Interface also created a carpet tile that takes inspiration from a forest floor with a randomized pattern design. This reduces production waste by 50% by allowing any arrangement of tiles to create a cohesive look. For Interface, studying nature improved their products, reduced their environmental impact and saved money.
Applying Nature to Solar Panels
Solar panels are a field in which biomimicry has lots of potential. Scientists are working to make solar cells as efficient as possible, and nothing is more efficient than nature. One example is a new type of solar panel that operates like a leaf. Scientists researched the complex vein systems in leaves and reproduced them in solar panels with microchannels, raising efficiency by 20%.
Researchers have also improved solar panels’ light absorption by mimicking light modulating nanostructures in butterfly wings. Using butterflies as a reference, they added a textured screen that decreases light reflection, allowing them to produce 30% more power.
The Vast Potential for Biomimicry for Medicine
The strength of biomimicry as a field comes not just from what has been invented, but what could be. Many projects using biomimicry are in development or undergoing research. For example, the Biomimicry Institute reports that scientists are looking into a way to use slugs’ slime to create a biomedical adhesive that could stitch together hearts and lungs. Slugs produce a mucus that is incredibly stretchy and sticky, without any harsh or toxic chemicals. Learning from these creatures could help create lifesaving medical technologies.
Looking to nature for design solutions is so crucial because in a world of climate disaster, our new inventions must work in harmony with the environment. Nature has stood the tests of evolution to create efficient and creative solutions to problems. According to Benyus, “After 3.8 billion years of research and development…what surrounds us is the secret to our survival.”
How Biomimicry Could Shape Our World for the Better
Benyus has created AskNature.org to compile information about ecosystems and animals relevant to design problems inventors might face. The site organizes information into collections, titled with questions such as “How does nature encourage resilience?” and “How does nature build a home?” Under the collections there are many in depth articles on how both humans and animals tackle these issues. AskNature.org and other sites about biomimicry, such as the Biomimicry Institute, provide endless inspiration and a starting point for innovation.
Companies like Interface and countless researchers working on biomimetic technologies are shifting industry standards in a more sustainable direction. The fact that there are sustainable options at all through their products is meaningful, and will hopefully inspire further innovation. Overall, biomimicry is a proven valuable tool for inventors that has made fundamental changes to how we design things. Increased appreciation and studying of nature will be an invaluable step forward for sustainability as a whole.
Here at the Alliance, we have high hopes for the future of biomimicry. Our very first newsletter in 2021 actually included an article on this subject, detailing the potential of the field and plenty of exciting examples of biomimetic inventions.