Tooth structure, mechanical properties, and diet specialization of Piranha and Pacu (Serrasalmidae): A comparative study.

The relationship between diet, bite performance, and tooth structure is a topic of common interest for ecologists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers. The highly specialized group of biters found in Serrasalmidae offers a unique opportunity to explore their functional diversity. Surprisingly, the piranha, whose teeth have a predominantly cutting function and whose main diet is soft flesh, is capable of exerting a greater bite force than a similarly sized pacu, who feeds on a hard durophagous diet.

Engineering with keratin: A functional material and a source of bioinspiration.

Keratin is a highly multifunctional biopolymer serving various roles in nature due to its diverse material properties, wide spectrum of structural designs, and impressive performance. Keratin-based materials are mechanically robust, thermally insulating, lightweight, capable of undergoing reversible adhesion through van der Waals forces, and exhibit structural coloration and hydrophobic surfaces. Thus, they have become templates for bioinspired designs and have even been applied as a functional material for biomedical applications and environmentally sustainable fiber-reinforced composites.

Bite force mechanics and allometry of piranha (Serrasalmidae).

The bite force of the piranha (Serrasalmidae) has drawn considerable attention due to its ability to effectively capture and masticate prey. Herein, we analyze theoretical anterior bite forces using a lever approach and compare them to in-vivo maximum bite forces. We provide a mechanics analysis that explains the scaling allometry of the bite force (F) with the length of the fish (l), Fαl.

Bioinspired avian feather designs.

Avian flight feathers have developed, through evolution, an intricate architecture with multi-functional structures that are essential for flight. These lightweight and resilient appendages motivate the invention of bioinspired designs. Here we fabricate various structures inspired by significant concepts identified in the feather vane and shaft.

Additive Manufacturing as a Method to Design and Optimize Bioinspired Structures.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a current technology undergoing rapid development that is utilized in a wide variety of applications. In the field of biological and bioinspired materials, additive manufacturing is being used to generate intricate prototypes to expand our understanding of the fundamental structure-property relationships that govern nature's spectacular mechanical performance. Herein, recent advances in the use of AM for improving the understanding of the structure-property relationship in biological materials and for the production of bioinspired materials are reviewed.