Insect wings inspire antibacterial surfaces for corneal transplants, other medical devices
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 - 04:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Someday, cicadas and dragonflies might save your sight. The key to this power lies in their wings, which are coated with a forest of tiny pointed pillars that impale and kill bacterial cells unlucky enough to land on them. Now, scientists report they have replicated these antibacterial nanopillars on synthetic polymers that are being developed to restore vision.