Design principles of hair-like structures as biological machines

DIRT/µ: automated extraction of root hair traits using combinatorial optimization

As with phenotyping of any microscopic appendages, such as cilia or antennae, phenotyping of root hairs has been a challenge due to their complex intersecting arrangements in two-dimensional images and the technical limitations of automated measurements. Digital Imaging of Root Traits at Microscale (DIRT/μ) is a newly developed algorithm that addresses this issue by computationally resolving intersections and extracting individual root hairs from two-dimensional microscopy images. This solution enables automatic and precise trait measurements of individual root hairs. DIRT/μ rigorously defines a set of rules to resolve intersecting root hairs and minimizes a newly designed cost function to combinatorically identify each root hair in the microscopy image. As a result, DIRT/μ accurately measures traits such as root hair length distribution and root hair density, which are impractical for manual assessment. We tested DIRT/μ on three datasets to validate its performance and showcase potential applications. By measuring root hair traits in a fraction of the time manual methods require, DIRT/μ eliminates subjective biases from manual measurements. Automating individual root hair extraction accelerates phenotyping and quantifies trait variability within and among plants, creating new possibilities to characterize root hair function and their underlying genetics.

Innovative multi-scale approach to study the phenotypic variation of seedling leaves in four weedy Amaranthus species

Plant phenotyping on morpho-anatomical traits through image analysis, from microscope images to large-scale acquisitions through remote sensing, represents a low-invasive tool providing insight into physiological and structural trait variation, as well as plant-environment interactions. High phenotype diversity in the genus Amaranthus includes annual weed species with high invasiveness and impact on important summer crops, and nutritive grain or vegetable crops. Identification of morpho-anatomical leaf characters at very young stages across weedy amaranths could be useful for better understanding their performance in agroecosystems. We used an innovative multi-scale approach with phenotype analyses of about 20 single-leaf morphometric traits of four Amaranthus species through processing confocal microscopy and camera acquisitions. The results highlight that determination of leaf traits at different investigation levels highlight species-specific traits at a juvenile stage, which are crucial for plant development, competition and establishment. Specifically, leaf circularity and hairiness Aspect Ratio better discriminated A. tuberculatus from other species. Also, leaf DW, hairiness area and perimeter variables allowed identification of dioecious amaranth species as distinct from monoecious species. The methodology used here provides a promising, reliable and low-impact approach for the functional characterization of phylogenetically related species and for statistical quantification of traits involved in taxonomy and biodiversity studies.

Engineering Themes in Plant Forms and Functions

Living structures constantly interact with the biotic and abiotic environment by sensing and responding via specialized functional parts. In other words, biological bodies embody highly functional machines and actuators. What are the signatures of engineering mechanisms in biology? In this review, we connect the dots in the literature to seek engineering principles in plant structures. We identify three thematic motifs-bilayer actuator, slender-bodied functional surface, and self-similarity-and provide an overview of their structure-function relationships. Unlike human-engineered machines and actuators, biological counterparts may appear suboptimal in design, loosely complying with physical theories or engineering principles. We postulate what factors may influence the evolution of functional morphology and anatomy to dissect and comprehend better the why behind the biological forms.

Mechanosensing, from forces to structures

Sessile plants evolve diverse structures in response to complex environmental cues. These factors, in essence, involve mechanical stimuli, which must be sensed and coordinated properly by the plants to ensure effective growth and development. While we have accumulated substantial knowledge on plant mechanobiology, how plants translate mechanical information into three-dimensional structures is still an open question. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of plant mechanosensing at different levels, particularly using Arabidopsis as a model plant system. We also attempt to abstract the mechanosensing process and link the gaps from mechanical cues to the generation of complex plant structures. Here we review the recent advancements on mechanical response and transduction in plant morphogenesis, and we also raise several questions that interest us in different sections.

Magnetic field-driven particle assembly and jamming for bistable memory and response plasticity

Unlike classic synthetic stimulus-responsive and shape-memory materials, which remain limited to fixed responses, the responses of living systems dynamically adapt based on the repetition, intensity, and history of stimuli. Such plasticity is ubiquitous in biology, which is profoundly linked to memory and learning. Concepts thereof are searched for rudimentary forms of "intelligent materials." Here, we show plasticity of electroconductivity in soft ferromagnetic nickel colloidal supraparticles with spiny surfaces, assembling/disassembling to granular conducting micropillars between two electrodes driven by magnetic field B. Colloidal jamming leads to conduction hysteresis and bistable memory upon increasing and subsequently decreasing B. Abrupt B changes induce larger conduction changes than gradual B-changes. Periodic B pulsing drives to frequency-dependent facilitation or suppression of conductivity compared to exposing the same constant field. The concepts allow remotely controlled switching plasticity, illustrated by a rudimentary device. More generally, we foresee adaptive functional materials inspired by response plasticity and learning.

Bristled-wing design of materials, microstructures, and aerodynamics enables flapping flight in tiny wasps

Parasitoid wasps of the smallest flying insects with bristled wings exhibit sophisticated flight behaviors while challenging biomechanical limitations in miniaturization and low-speed flow regimes. Here, we investigate the morphology, material composition, and mechanical properties of the bristles of the parasitoid wasps Anagrus Haliday. The bristles are extremely stiff and exhibit a high-aspect-ratio conical tubular structure with a large Young's modulus. This leads to a marginal deflection and uniform structural stress distribution in the bristles while they experience high-frequency flapping–induced aerodynamic loading, indicating that the bristles are robust to fatigue. The flapping aerodynamics of the bristled wings reveal that the wing surfaces act as porous flat paddles to reduce the overall inertial load while utilizing a passive shear-based aerodynamic drag-enhancing mechanism to generate the requisite aerodynamic forces. The bristled wing may have evolved as a novel design that achieves multiple functions and provides innovative ideas for developing bioinspired engineering microdevices.

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Bristles are extremely stiff and exhibit a high-aspect-ratio conical tubular structure

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Bristles uniformalize structural stress distributions and are robust to loading fatigue

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Bristled wings are light, using less power to achieve novel aerodynamic force production

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Bristled wings may bring an innovative design for bioinspired engineering microdevices

Bioinspired NEMS—Prospective of Collaboration with Nature

The fields of micro- and nanomechanics are strongly interconnected with the development of micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) and nano-electro-mechanical (NEMS) devices, their fabrication and applications. This article highlights the biomimetic concept of designing new nanodevices for advanced materials and sensing applications.

A Suite of Robotic Solutions for Nuclear Waste Decommissioning

Dealing safely with nuclear waste is an imperative for the nuclear industry. Increasingly, robots are being developed to carry out complex tasks such as perceiving, grasping, cutting, and manipulating waste. Radioactive material can be sorted, and either stored safely or disposed of appropriately, entirely through the actions of remotely controlled robots. Radiological characterisation is also critical during the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. It involves the detection and labelling of radiation levels, waste materials, and contaminants, as well as determining other related parameters (e.g., thermal and chemical), with the data visualised as 3D scene models. This paper overviews work by researchers at the QMUL Centre for Advanced Robotics (ARQ), a partner in the UK EPSRC National Centre for Nuclear Robotics (NCNR), a consortium working on the development of radiation-hardened robots fit to handle nuclear waste. Three areas of nuclear-related research are covered here: human–robot interfaces for remote operations, sensor delivery, and intelligent robotic manipulation.

Transcriptome profiling reveals key genes in regulation of the tepal trichome development in Lilium pumilum D.C

A number of potential genes and pathways involved in tepal trichome development were identified in a natural lily mutant by transcriptome analysis and were confirmed with trichome and trichomeless species. Trichome is a specialized structure found on the surface of the plant with an important function in survival against abiotic and biotic stress. It is also an important economic trait in crop breeding. Extensive research has investigated the foliar trichome in model plants (Arabidopsis and tomato). However, the developmental mechanism of tepal trichome remains elusive. Lilium pumilum is an edible ornamental bulb and a good breeding parent possessing cold and salt-alkali resistance. Here, we found a natural mutant of Lilium pumilum grown on a highland whose tepals are covered by trichomes. Our data indicate that trichomes of the mutant are multicellular and branchless. Notably, stomata are also developed on the tepal of the mutant as well, suggesting there may be a correlation between trichome and stomata regulation. Furthermore, we isolated 27 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing the transcriptome profiling between the natural mutant and the wild type. These 27 genes belong to 4 groups: epidermal cell cycle and division, trichome morphogenesis, stress response, and transcription factors. Quantitative real-time PCR in Lilium pumilum (natural mutant and the wild type) and other lily species (Lilium leichtlinii var. maximowiczii/trichome; Lilium davidii var. willmottiae/, trichomeless) confirmed the validation of RNA-seq data and identified several trichome-related genes.

Superhydrophobicity and size reduction enabled Halobates (Insecta: Heteroptera, Gerridae) to colonize the open ocean

Despite the remarkable evolutionary success of insects at colonizing every conceivable terrestrial and aquatic habitat, only five Halobates (Heteroptera: Gerridae) species (~0.0001% of all known insect species) have succeeded at colonizing the open ocean - the largest biome on Earth. This remarkable evolutionary achievement likely required unique adaptations for them to survive and thrive in the challenging oceanic environment. For the first time, we explore the morphology and behavior of an open-ocean Halobates germanus and a related coastal species H. hayanus to understand mechanisms of these adaptations. We provide direct experimental evidence based on high-speed videos which reveal that Halobates exploit their specialized and self-groomed body hair to achieve extreme water repellence, which facilitates rapid skating and plastron respiration under water. Moreover, the grooming behavior and presence of cuticular wax aids in the maintenance of superhydrophobicity. Further, reductions of their body mass and size enable them to achieve impressive accelerations (~400 ms-2) and reaction times (~12 ms) to escape approaching predators or environmental threats and are crucial to their survival under harsh marine conditions. These findings might also inspire rational strategies for developing liquid-repellent surfaces for drag reduction, water desalination, and preventing bio-fouling.

The Euler spiral of rat whiskers

This paper reports on an analytical study of the intrinsic shapes of 523 whiskers from 15 rats. We show that the variety of whiskers on a rat's cheek, each of which has different lengths and shapes, can be described by a simple mathematical equation such that each whisker is represented as an interval on the Euler spiral. When all the representative curves of mystacial vibrissae for a single rat are assembled together, they span an interval extending from one coiled domain of the Euler spiral to the other. We additionally find that each whisker makes nearly the same angle of 47^∘ with the normal to the spherical virtual surface formed by the tips of whiskers, which constitutes the rat's tactile sensory shroud or "search space." The implications of the linear curvature model for gaining insight into relationships between growth, form, and function are discussed.

Tooth-Inspired Tactile Sensor for Detection of Multidirectional Force

The anatomy of a tooth was the inspiration for this tactile sensor study. The sensor consisted of a pole that was fixed in the middle of an acrylic base using a viscoelastic silicone elastomer. Four strain gauges were fixed three-dimensionally around the pole to detect its movement, which was formed in a single step in the assembly. When the load was applied to the side of the pole, the strain gauges were bent or released, depending on the direction of the applied load and the position of the strain gauges. The sensor device had the sensitivity of 0.016 mm⁻¹ and 0.313 N⁻¹ against the resistance change ratio. For the load detection experiment, a consistent pattern of full sine-curve, with a constant resistance change for the angles, was obtained for all of the four strain gauges, which confirmed the reliability of the sensor device to detect the direction of applied load. The amplitudes of the resistance change ratio remained to be consistent after loading-unloading processes at the frequency of 0.05–0.25 Hz.

Biomechanics in Soft Mechanical Sensing: From Natural Case Studies to the Artificial World

Living beings use mechanical interaction with the environment to gather essential cues for implementing necessary movements and actions. This process is mediated by biomechanics, primarily of the sensory structures, meaning that, at first, mechanical stimuli are morphologically computed. In the present paper, we select and review cases of specialized sensory organs for mechanical sensing-from both the animal and plant kingdoms-that distribute their intelligence in both structure and materials. A focus is set on biomechanical aspects, such as morphology and material characteristics of the selected sensory organs, and on how their sensing function is affected by them in natural environments. In this route, examples of artificial sensors that implement these principles are provided, and/or ways in which they can be translated artificially are suggested. Following a biomimetic approach, our aim is to make a step towards creating a toolbox with general tailoring principles, based on mechanical aspects tuned repeatedly in nature, such as orientation, shape, distribution, materials, and micromechanics. These should be used for a future methodical design of novel soft sensing systems for soft robotics.