“Learning from nature” does not only refer to living organisms, inorganic matter also amazes us with its highly complex and beautiful structures. Crystals are three-dimensional patterns with often highly interesting properties, the closer examination of which can teach us a lot!<\/p>\n
Bacteria can do great things, e.g. the bacterium Komagataeibacter xylinus produces cellulose (i.e. paper) from sugar. This bacterium is no stranger to the world; it has been used for years to make the dessert Nata de Coco in Southeast Asia. Tastes good – and nice to have someone else do the work.<\/p>\n
Red and brown algae contain biopolymers that have plastic-like qualities. Alginate, agar or carrageenan can be used to produce films, fibers or gels. It’s the mixture that makes the difference, so they are also suitable as binders for composite materials. All biodegradable, of course.<\/p>\n