Plant-inspired damage control – An inspiration for sustainable solutions in the Anthropocene

2023

Biomimetics

Within the framework of a circular economy, we aim to efficiently use raw materials and reduce waste generation. In this context, the longevity of biomimetic material systems can significantly contribute by providing robustness and resilience of system functionality inspired by biological models. The aim of this review is to outline various principles that can lead to an increase in robustness (e.g., safety factor, gradients, reactions to environmental changes) and resilience (e.g., redundancy, self-repair) and to illustrate the principles with meaningful examples. The study focuses on plant material systems with a high potential for transfer to biomimetic applications and on existing biomimetic material systems. Our fundamental concept is based on the functionality of the entire system as a function of time. We use functionality as a dimensionless measure of robustness and resilience to quantify the system function, allowing comparison within biological material systems and biomimetic material systems, but also between them. Together with the enclosed glossary of key terms, the review provides a comprehensive toolbox for interdisciplinary teams. Thus, allowing teams to communicate unambiguously and to draw inspiration from plant models when developing biomimetic material systems with great longevity potential.

Section: Robustnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the interface between biology and technology, we have studied resilience of functionality of material systems in the sense of failure tolerance or damage management [ 50 , 107 ]. In the event of failure, resilient material systems can, at best, return to their original state or even overcompensate their initial state ( Figure 8 ).…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity of System Functions in Biology and Biomimetics: A Matter of Robustness and Resilience

Mylo

2023

Biomimetics

“…Some macroalgae even use breakage to aid dispersal. In case of damage, a variety of Damage control in plants can be accomplished through either damage prevention or damage management (modified from Speck et al, 2022). biomechanical responses can be observed, including an increase in tissue thickening of support structures, and/or an alteration of thallus shape.…”

Section: Damage To Macroalgaementioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: Damage control of plants—from the molecule to the entire plant

2023

Self Cite

Damage in plants can occur at all levels of the hierarchy. As a consequence, a huge variety of functional principles, mechanisms and processes of damage control have developed over the course of evolution, including all hierarchical levels from the molecule to the whole plant (Harrington et al., 2016;Speck and Speck, 2019). This Research Topic compiles eight examples of recent studies that elucidates how plants can control damage. In this context, the umbrella term damage control encompasses damage prevention and damage management, which both have a comparable level of importance for the survival and thriving of plants (Figure 1).Damage prevention in plants includes the formation of gradient transitions, for example, by means of geometric features and biomechanical properties. In addition, plants can prevent damage to themselves by being able to respond, acclimate, and adapt structurally and mechanically to withstand higher stresses without damage. Damage management ranges from rapid self-sealing and subsequent self-healing of wounds to the formation of abscission zones, the latter ensuring the controlled disintegration of biological materials systems (Speck

“…However, practitioners can only guarantee a contribution of bio-inspired developments to sustainable development if a respectful interaction with the natural environment and a special ethos complement their technological ambitions (MacKinnon et al, 2020). With this claim, bio-inspired developments can contribute to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the Anthropocene (Gebeshuber et al, 2009; Speck et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio-inspired life-like motile materials systems: Changing the boundaries between living and technical systems in the Anthropocene

Poppinga

The Anthropocene Review

et al. 2021

Self Cite

A current trend observed in the Anthropocene is the search for bioinspired solutions. Since it became possible to change the quality of the boundary between living and technical systems, more and more life-like technical products have been developed in recent years. Using five plant-inspired developments of motile technical systems for architecture and soft-robotics, we show how the boundary between living and technical systems undulates, shifts, perforates, blurs, or dissolves with increasing life-likeness. We discuss what causes theses changes in the boundary and how this contributes to the overall aim to achieve higher resilience, robustness, and improved esthetics of plant-inspired products. Inspiration from living systems that make efficient and economic use of materials and energy and are fully recyclable after “service time” may additionally contribute to sustainable material use, one of the major challenges in the Anthropocene.