Biology for Engineers (BFE)

NEP Complied Syllabus

Crosstalk of Biology and Engineering

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UNIT 1

a) Biologically inspired technologies: Case studies of designs

in nature and inspired technologies, Biomemetics: Nature
inspired material and mechanisms, Self-healing Bioconcrete,
Biomining, Algorithms in nature
b) Contribution of engineering in biological domain:
Contribution of Microscope, Imaging techniques, Bio-medical
Instruments, Mechanisms (Ergonomics)
 Nature
Inspired
Technologies
Biomimicry engineering is the practice of creating designs based on structures and
sequences from the Earth's natural world, including its plants, animals and
geographies. These designs allow engineers and other professionals to create
sustainable infrastructure and equipment for everyday activities and habitation
processes, like public transportation and water sanitation. The engineers involved in
these types of projects often collaborate with biologists. Biologists identify natural
processes that are efficient and sustainable, then engineers implement these
processes into building or tool designs.

 Improving performance through studying

natural processes
 Reducing costs by using energy and
resources more efficiently
 Creating opportunities for collaboration
between STEM professionals
 Providing solutions to common needs by
developing innovative designs
 Enhancing an organization's brand
using environmentally conscious
practices
 Perfusionis
t

Equipment
Architect
technician 50 Examples of
Biomimicry:
Biomimicry https://
Engineer www.learnbiomimicry.com/
blog/best-biomimicry-
examples
Biomedical Microbiolo
Engineer gist
Pharmaceu
tical
Manufactu
rer
Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine –
1485
Well over 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci
was developing plans for a flying machine.
With nothing remotely similar in circulation,
his inspiration had to come from the world
around him. Mimicking the shapes of bird
and bat wings, he was able to design a
concept that, while ineffective, would
inspire others for hundreds of years to come.
Camouflage – 1890
Sir Edward Poulton, a British zoologist and
early adopter of Darwinism, believed that
animals mimicked their environments for
safety and proposed this as proof for natural
selection. In his 1890 publication, The
Colours of Animals, he describes this theory
and suggests how humans could harness this
same technology. While camouflage has
changed and improved over the years, most of
its many interpretations have been borrowed
from nature.
Velcro – 1941
George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer,
turned an inconvenience into an
opportunity while out on a hunting trip
in the early 1940s. While walking
through the hills, he noticed cocklebur
seed capsules sticking to his clothing as
he walked past. After closer inspection
of the burs and their hooks, he
developed and patented the hook-and-
loop design currently known as Velcro.
“Passive” Air Conditioning – 1996
Operational for over 20 years now, the Eastgate
Complex in Harare, Zimbabwe has been a
leader in building cooling technology since it’s
conception. Designed after a termite mound,
the building using “passive cooling”
technology to consume 90% less energy than
modern air conditioning. Further research has
shown that other models may be even more
effective and prototypes are currently being
designed.
Medical Staples – 2014
A current leader in many different biomimicry
technologies, the Karp lab has drawn inspiration
from porcupine needles in their design for a more
secure medical staple. Sutures closing dangerous
wounds need to be as sturdy as possible. By
mimicking the unidirectional barbs found in
porcupine quills, the Karp lab has created a
design that will hold in soft tissue far more
effectively than other staples have before.

Japanese Bullet Trains – 2016

The Hokkaido Shinkansen, the latest iteration
of Japan’s famous bullet trains, is based on
the face and beak of the King Fischer bird.
These trains are known to reach speeds in
excess of 300 km/h and have an impressive
track record boasting 0 fatalities in their greater
than 50-year history.
Whale Fin Wind Turbines – 2018
For the past 10 years, Whalepower Corporation
has been doing research, starting in a Harvard
lab and growing into a company, to
revolutionize wind power. Drawing inspiration
from
bumps on the leading edge of humpback whale
fins
, the engineers at Whalepower have designed
turbine blades that channel air around artificial
tubercles. This maximizes the blades ability to
operate in low/infrequent wind, while
maintaining their ability to function in high
The ridges
wind as well.on the front fins of a humpback whale, called tubercles, influence how
water flows over the fins. The tubercules allow them to swim at high speeds despite
their great size. Engineering and science professionals often collaborate on projects
involving whale tubercules to create improved machinery for travel or energy
production. Scientists often measure these tubercles using a mathematical model,
while engineering professionals use this data to create a 3D model and determine
how a similar design might improve lift and reduce wind drag on a submarine, aircraft
or turbine.
Woodpeckers use their long beaks to forage
for insects and create homes in the trunks of
trees without sustaining head injuries from
the fast and forceful pecking Biologists
conducted CT scans and reviewed
recordings of the bird, finding structures in a
woodpecker's body that work together to
improve its shock absorption. Aerospace
engineers often use these structures to
design meteorite-resistant spacecraft and
airplane black boxes that can absorb more
force before malfunctioning. This natural
design can also help aircraft and
aeronautical engineers develop more quality
technology in the future.

Woodpecker Football Helmets – 2018

When designing a new football helmet to help with chronic prevalence of CTE in
the NFL, the team at VICIS turned to the humble woodpecker. These amazing
birds spend a lot of time hitting their heads against hard objects, without any
serious repercussions. After creating an impact absorption system mimicking the
soft tissue surrounding the skull of the woodpecker, they are confident they have a
product that will help decrease injury in athletes engaging in high-impact sport.
Hydrodynamic Green Energy Solutions –
Currently in Development
Currently in late stage development, the
bioWAVE aims to harness the fluid dynamic
power of waves and convert it into electricity.
Designed after coral, the structure is able to be
pushed back and forth by shifting tides. This
will have major advantages over other sources
of green energy as it will provide more constant
energy production than either wind or solar.

Biohacking Limb Regeneration Technology –

Currently in Development
Researchers in labs around the world are pulling
inspiration from an aquatic salamander, the axolotl, in
designs for medical technologies to aid with
regeneration of damaged or removed limbs. This create
can regrow lost limbs over the course of a few weeks,
complete with soft, cardiac, and neuronal tissue. By
sequencing and searching the axolotl genome, scientists
are learning how we may be able to use this technology
for ourselves in the future.
Natural biological systems are constantly
developing efficient mechanisms to counter
adverse effects of increasing human population
and depleting energy resources. Their intelligent
mechanisms are characterized by the ability to
detect changes in the environment, store and
evaluate information, and respond to external
stimuli. Bio-inspired replication into man-made
functional materials guarantees enhancement of
characteristics and performance. Specifically,
butterfly architectures have inspired the
fabrication of sensor and energy materials by
replicating their unique micro/nanostructures,
light-trapping mechanisms and selective responses
to external stimuli. These bio-inspired sensor and
energy materials have shown improved
performance in harnessing renewable energy,
environmental remediation and health monitoring.
Therefore, this review highlights recent progress
reported on the classification of butterfly wing
scale architectures and explores several bio-
inspired sensor and energy applications.
Sharks can reach fast speeds because of
their scales' shape, which resemble tiny
teeth that cut through water currents
and lessen turbulence. Scientists first
created a paint that resembles shark
skin to reduce how much friction ships
produce on the water and how much
fuel they use. Since shark skin is also
resistant to parasitic and bacterial
growth, medical researchers applied a
similar design to create a plastic film to
cover hospital walls. Both marine
biologists and medical engineers may
work on projects involving shark fins to
improve the health and safety of
providers and their patients.
Beetles native to the Namib Desert
survive the dry environment by
collecting water on their backs. They aim
their wings toward the ocean breeze and
the bumps on their backs funnel water
droplets toward their mouths.
Entomologists and engineers created a
water bottle with similar water-collecting
and water-repelling bumps. This project
could help with water preservation
efforts and make water more easily
accessible for communities in dry
regions. Professionals in conservation or
community planning professions may
participate in multiple water
conservation projects that involve this
biomimicry engineering method.
Slime mold is a single-celled organism that thrives in
damp environments, like forest floors, and feeds on
microbes by spreading its nutrient-carrying tubes out
in all directions. To conserve energy, it keeps only the
tubes that find the most nutrients and leaves chemical
trails to remember which areas don't have food.
Entomologists and railway engineers studied this
mold to see how it could help improve transportation
systems.They placed the slime mold on a damp
surface that represented a city and laid oat flakes in
positions that represented the surrounding cities.
When the slime mold expanded, it looked like a more
efficient version of a railway system that didn't require
a central control system. Urban planners and
transportation engineers may use this example and
similar instances to improve city plans by studying
natural designs.
Algae remove pollutants from water
through a process called bioutilization.
For example, algae covering coral reefs
stimulates its growth by pulsing water
over its surfaces, which enhances the
coral's photosynthesis and prevents it
from absorbing re-filtrated water.
Natural science professionals refined
this process to purify water that has
man-made contaminants in it, such as
fertilizer runoff. Professionals like
extension agents and water treatment
specialists may use this natural
purification system to enhance their
designs and processes.
Herpetologists and pharmaceutical
scientists studied Gila monsters to
develop medicine for diabetes patients.
Their venom contains proteins that help
cells release glucose, so researchers
developed a synthetic form of the
protein that reduced blood sugar levels
in humans more efficiently and
improved how the pancreas creates
insulin. By studying Gila monsters and
animals with similar capabilities, medical
engineers can develop new life-saving
technology or enhance current
practices.
 Biological Algorithms

Particle swarm optimization (PSO)

 Genetic Bee Colony (GBC),

 Fish Swarm Algorithm (FSA),
 Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO),
 Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA),
 Artificial Algae Algorithm (AAA),
 Elephant Search Algorithm (ESA),
 Cuckoo Search Optimization Algorithm (CSOA),
 Moth flame optimization (MFO),
 Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO)
 Ant colony optimization (Dorigo 1992)
 Ant-based routing
 Whale Optimization
Algorithm (WOA)

Mirjalili and Lewis in 2016

social behaviour of humpback
whales
hunting strategy which is called
bubble-net feeding
Contribution
by the
Engineers
Biomining
 Bioengineering

Bioengineering or Biomedical Engineering is a discipline that

advances knowledge in engineering, biology, and medicine
• molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology
• pharmacology
• cytology
• immunology and neuroscience

Biomedical engineering Biomedical technology

Biomedical Diagnosis Biomedical Therapy
Biomechanics Biomaterials.
Genetic engineering Cell engineering
 Specialty areas ..

Bioinstrumentation
Biomechanics
System physiology
Clinical Engineering
Rehabilitation engineering
 Recent advances …

Artificial joints
MRI
Heart pacemaker
Arthroscopy
Heart – Lung machine
Artificial skin / implant
Kidney dialysis
Angioplasty