#limpet teeth

[dinosaurwithablog]

Limpet teeth. Very cool. 🥰 they have over 20,000 of them. Much respect to the limpet.

[aunicorninthegarden]

An electron micrograph of limpet teeth, the strongest biological material identified yet. Image courtesy of Asa Barber.  Tiny as the teeth are—each one is as long as a strand of hair is thick—they’re the strongest biological material known to exist, according to a recent paper appearing in the Royal Society journal Interface. In fact, they’re 10 percent stronger than spider silk, the previous title-holder for strongest naturally occurring material.

Article at ScienceFriday and abstract of Interface paper here

[engineercity]

Новости сайта #ENGINEERING - 工程

New Post has been published on http://engineer.city/clinging-on/

Clinging on

Ben Dempster and Jennifer Unsworth reveal how natural materials such as limpet teeth continue to inspire high-tech innovation

The natural world is still a vital source of inspiration for materials scientists, but realising its commercial value can be a challenge. Although it may seem surprising that our understanding of organic structures is still developing at pace in the 21st century, recent discoveries continue to pave the way for the use of newly discovered natural materials and the development of new synthetic materials.

Researchers at the University of Plymouth have recently identified the strongest natural biological material currently known to man: limpet teeth. Containing a hard substance known as goethite, which gives them a resilient quality, limpet teeth are now being studied in earnest by scientists looking to replicate their structure. If successful, their findings could be applied to high-performance engineering for use on Formula 1 cars, boats or aircraft.

However, ensuring that such innovations are commercially viable is vital. The aim for firms is to obtain patent protection for methods of extracting materials from their natural sources in sufficient quantities for industrial applications, novel applications for the materials, or synthetic materials with similar properties as the natural materials. Only then, can the true value of these discoveries be unlocked.

The web we weave

For those aiming to harness the unique qualities of limpet teeth, lessons can be learned by recalling the attempts made to develop applications for spider silk, the material previously thought to be nature’s strongest. More elastic than rubber and three times stronger than steel, producing the large volumes of silk required for commercial applications has proved difficult. Spiders only create small quantities of silk for webs before consuming them to conserve protein. In addition, they are cannibalistic in the absence of other prey, making farming impractical.

In view of these difficulties, scientists turned their attention to developing synthetic alternatives. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories patented genetic sequences for numerous spider silk qualities and gained a monopoly in the use of these sequences to create structural spider silk using silkworms. Unlike spiders, silkworms have a large capacity for silk production, with silk glands making up 40% of their body weight.

Similarly, German firm AMSilk utilised genetically engineered E. coli samples to express silk proteins derived from the DNA of the European garden cross spider. Although the protein is currently being sold to cosmetics companies for use in shampoos, rather than for its strength or durability, this is definitely a step in the right direction. If limpet teeth are to be used commercially, an efficient way of farming the material or creating a synthetic version of its structure (which is essentially a mineral coated in a protein), must be developed.

Alternatively, novel applications of a naturally occurring material can also be developed and protected. A good example of this is the research surrounding chitin, a natural compound found in the shells of crabs that exists to protect crustaceans from the outside environment. The material has been developed for use in contact lenses, surgical stitches and artificial skin as well as being blended with other substances to make Crabyon, a textile fabric.

When synthesising and exploring the practical applications for new materials, it is important that companies consider their IP strategy and engage with patent attorneys at an early stage. Patent applications must provide enough detail to allow the innovation to be replicated and applicants must be able to demonstrate that the technology is new and inventive. Of course, care must also be taken to avoid early disclosure. A single comment from an overexcited researcher could compromise the commercial success of a future application.

As scientists continue to look to nature in the search for new and unique materials, they should keep in mind the challenges of the R&D path. Firms should aim to achieve commercial viability by implementing a watertight IP strategy to protect their inventions.

Ben Dempster and Jennifer Unsworth are patent attorneys and materials science specialists at Withers & Rogers, an intellectual property firm

Images: 

Source: engineerlive.com

[engineercity]

Новости сайта #ENGINEERING - 工程

New Post has been published on http://engineer.city/clinging-on/

Clinging on

Ben Dempster and Jennifer Unsworth reveal how natural materials such as limpet teeth continue to inspire high-tech innovation

The natural world is still a vital source of inspiration for materials scientists, but realising its commercial value can be a challenge. Although it may seem surprising that our understanding of organic structures is still developing at pace in the 21st century, recent discoveries continue to pave the way for the use of newly discovered natural materials and the development of new synthetic materials.

Researchers at the University of Plymouth have recently identified the strongest natural biological material currently known to man: limpet teeth. Containing a hard substance known as goethite, which gives them a resilient quality, limpet teeth are now being studied in earnest by scientists looking to replicate their structure. If successful, their findings could be applied to high-performance engineering for use on Formula 1 cars, boats or aircraft.

However, ensuring that such innovations are commercially viable is vital. The aim for firms is to obtain patent protection for methods of extracting materials from their natural sources in sufficient quantities for industrial applications, novel applications for the materials, or synthetic materials with similar properties as the natural materials. Only then, can the true value of these discoveries be unlocked.

The web we weave

For those aiming to harness the unique qualities of limpet teeth, lessons can be learned by recalling the attempts made to develop applications for spider silk, the material previously thought to be nature’s strongest. More elastic than rubber and three times stronger than steel, producing the large volumes of silk required for commercial applications has proved difficult. Spiders only create small quantities of silk for webs before consuming them to conserve protein. In addition, they are cannibalistic in the absence of other prey, making farming impractical.

In view of these difficulties, scientists turned their attention to developing synthetic alternatives. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories patented genetic sequences for numerous spider silk qualities and gained a monopoly in the use of these sequences to create structural spider silk using silkworms. Unlike spiders, silkworms have a large capacity for silk production, with silk glands making up 40% of their body weight.

Similarly, German firm AMSilk utilised genetically engineered E. coli samples to express silk proteins derived from the DNA of the European garden cross spider. Although the protein is currently being sold to cosmetics companies for use in shampoos, rather than for its strength or durability, this is definitely a step in the right direction. If limpet teeth are to be used commercially, an efficient way of farming the material or creating a synthetic version of its structure (which is essentially a mineral coated in a protein), must be developed.

Alternatively, novel applications of a naturally occurring material can also be developed and protected. A good example of this is the research surrounding chitin, a natural compound found in the shells of crabs that exists to protect crustaceans from the outside environment. The material has been developed for use in contact lenses, surgical stitches and artificial skin as well as being blended with other substances to make Crabyon, a textile fabric.

When synthesising and exploring the practical applications for new materials, it is important that companies consider their IP strategy and engage with patent attorneys at an early stage. Patent applications must provide enough detail to allow the innovation to be replicated and applicants must be able to demonstrate that the technology is new and inventive. Of course, care must also be taken to avoid early disclosure. A single comment from an overexcited researcher could compromise the commercial success of a future application.

As scientists continue to look to nature in the search for new and unique materials, they should keep in mind the challenges of the R&D path. Firms should aim to achieve commercial viability by implementing a watertight IP strategy to protect their inventions.

Ben Dempster and Jennifer Unsworth are patent attorneys and materials science specialists at Withers & Rogers, an intellectual property firm

Images: 

Source: engineerlive.com

[rice-papi]

Scientists Discover Strongest Known Natural Material

Limpet teeth, they found, have one of highest known strengths—exceeding that of many engineering alloys even. The amount of force it can withstand before breaking (called the tensile strength) ranged from 3.0 to 6.5 gigapascals (GPa). That’s comparable to a single string of spaghetti holding up 3,000 half-kilogram (1.1 lbs) bags of sugar, BBC explains.

“Until now we thought that spider silk was the strongest biological material because of its super-strength and potential applications in everything from bullet-proof vests to computer electronics,” Barber adds. For comparison, spider silk has a tensile strength of 1.3 GPa,Science reports. "This discovery," Barber adds, "means that the fibrous structures found in limpet teeth could be mimicked and used in high-performance engineering applications such as Formula 1 racing cars, the hulls of boats and aircraft structures."

THE APPLICATIONS!!! O________O

[valosalo]

A scanning electron microscope image of limpet teeth.

Nature's Strongest-Known Material

[customstoday]

Limpet teeth: The world’s strongest natural material

Limpet teeth: The world’s strongest natural material

NEW YORK: The strongest material in the world can be found inside the mouths of rock-dwelling marine gastropods. If you’ve ever been to the ocean, you’ve seen limpets: conical shells that seem glued to rocks and piers, almost impossible to pry loose. This is because they have a strong, muscular foot that can adhere to irregularities in the rock’s surface. Combined with an adhesive mucus, this…

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[therakyatpost]

New Post has been published on The Rakyat Post

New Post has been published on http://www.therakyatpost.com/business/2015/02/18/future-cars-may-made-teeth/

Future cars may be made from teeth

LONDON, Feb 18: 

Spider silk may lose its claim as the strongest known natural material after researchers found that limpet teeth have more mettle.

Spider silk is hailed by scientists for its strength and structure, but researchers in Britain have discovered that limpets — snail-like sea creatures with conical shells — have teeth with structures so strong they could be copied and used in making cars, boats and planes.

“Until now we thought that spider silk was the strongest biological material because of its super-strength and potential applications in everything from bullet-proof vests to computer electronics,” said Asa Barber, a professor at Portsmouth University’s school of engineering, who led the study.

“But now we have discovered that limpet teeth exhibit a strength that is potentially higher.”

Barber’s team examined the detailed mechanical behaviour of teeth from limpets with atomic force microscopy, a method used to pull apart materials all the way down to the level of the atom.

They found the teeth contain a hard mineral known as goethite, which forms in the limpet as it grows.

The research was published today in the Royal Society’s scientific journal Interface.

“Limpets need high-strength teeth to rasp over rock surfaces and remove algae for feeding when the tide is in,” Barber said.

“We discovered that the fibres of goethite are just the right size to make up a resilient composite structure.”

The fibrous structures found in limpet teeth could in future be copied by materials scientists and used in high-performance engineering applications such as Formula 1 racing cars, the hulls of boats and the bodies of aircraft, Barber said.