The Atlantic wolffish is known for its powerful bite, capable of crushing hard-shelled prey with ease. Now, researchers have discovered that the fish's teeth don't just withstand these extreme forces, they respond in a way ...
The origins of vivid colors within the gemstone ammolite—a rare type of brightly colored fossilized ammonite shell—are reported in research published in Scientific Reports.
Modern industry requires multi-dimensional performance design of protective structural materials. In nature, many organisms maintain the mechanical strength required for defense and achieve camouflage effects at the same ...
About 66 million years ago—perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May—an asteroid smashed into our planet.
Millions of years of evolution have enabled some marine animals to grow complex protective shells composed of multiple layers that work together to dissipate physical stress. In a new study, engineers have found a way to ...
Mollusks possess sturdy protective shells, thanks to their internal nacre structure. Nacre, the natural nanocomposite, demonstrates outstanding mechanical properties through both high strength and high toughness. Nacre, therefore, ...
Exactly how does coral make its skeleton, a sea urchin grow a spine, or an abalone form the mother-of-pearl in its shell? A new study at the Advanced Light Source at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ...
Bio-inspired materials (BIM) are synthetic materials whose structure and properties are similar to natural materials or living matter. These materials have the potential to advance structural materials, textiles and protective ...
In a win for chemistry, inventors at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed a closed-loop path for synthesizing an exceptionally tough carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, or CFRP, and later recovering ...
Many organisms can produce minerals or mineralized tissue. A well-known example is nacre, which is used in jewelry because of its iridescent colors. Chemically speaking, its formation begins with a mollusk extracting calcium ...
