News and Events
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‘Evolution Nailed It’ Seed Funding Competition
The BioInspiration Seed Funding Competition is designed to have teams develop creative, nature-inspired solutions to global/ practical/ human technological and design challenges. The natural world reflects 3.8 billion years of ruthless developing and refining form, function and process that offers insights for creative solutions to problems ranging from nanoscale challenges to global issues....
28 March 2019 News -
Workshop: BioInspired Design in Architecture
We are assembling a diverse range of researchers from science, engineering, architecture and design, and bringing them together with representatives of industry to forge new and exciting collaborations! Current and future research will hopefully inspire creative solutions to architectural challenges encountered by industry....
28 March 2019 Events -
HRI Launch Event
This breakfast launch will showcase bioinspired solutions to a range of problems, describe the scope and activities of the BioInspiration Research Initiative and provide an opportunity to for researchers and industry practitioners from diverse fields to meet and exchange ideas....
26 March 2019 Events
BioInspiration is an approach to innovation: principles underpinning biological systems are applied creatively to human technological and design challenges. Nature represents a vast repository of sustainable solutions, fine-tuned over millions of years of evolution. As global challenges become more complex and our capabilities more sophisticated, we are increasingly drawing inspiration from biological systems to find new solutions to a wide range of problems. This requires collaboration between biologists and practitioners in diverse fields, such as physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering and architecture.
The BioInspiration Hallmark Research Initiative is funded by the University of Melbourne to enhance innovation and impact by enabling convergence between the biological and physical sciences, engineering and design. The Initiative brings together researchers from the Faculty of Science (BioSciences, Chemistry and Physics), the Melbourne School of Engineering, and the Melbourne School of Design.
We work with a range of research institutes and industry partners to find bioinspired solutions to a broad range of problems in:
- Bioinspired nano-optics and materials
- Bioinspired chemical sensors
- Bioinspired design in architecture.
The BioInspiration Hallmark Research Initiative supports a range of research and innovation-enabling activities including workshops, public events and a seed-funding scheme.
If you have questions or comments in relation to the Hallmark Research Initiatives program, please email: hallmark-initiatives@unimelb.edu.au
Co-chairs
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BioSciencesd.stuart-fox@unimelb.edu.au
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BioSciencesm.elgar@unimelb.edu.au
External relations
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Academic Convenor (ABP)alberto.pugnale@unimelb.edu.au
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Co-ordinator-in-Chief (BioSciences)katrina.rankin@unimelb.edu.au
Steering committee (Alphabetical)
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Dr Joe Berry, Chemical Engineering
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Professor Kenneth Crozier, Physics, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering
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Professor Ray Dagastine, Chemical Engineering
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Dr Daniel Heath, Biomedical Engineering
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Dr James Hutchison, Chemistry
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Dr Chris Jensen, Architecture, Building and Planning
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Dr Giorgio Marfella, Architecture, Building and Planning
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Professor Brendon McNiven, Architecture, Building and Planning
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Professor Ann Roberts, Physics
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Dr Wallace Wong, Chemistry
Bioinspired research is rooted in observations of nature as a source of inspiration. This can be applied to any area of innovation, including the development of new materials, devices, technology and structures, and processes. However, the BioInspiration Hallmark Research Initiative has initially identified three key research themes that leverage existing research strengths.
Biological structures are increasingly the source of blueprints and inspiration to solve complex challenges in photonics and materials science.Natural structures such as beetle cuticles and butterfly wing scales have inspired the development of many new and improved functional materials. These include anti-reflection coatings to improve the efficiency of solar cells, anti-counterfeiting technologies (e.g. metallic holograms on credit cards and banknotes), and optical devices that focus or polarise light.
Investigators
- Associate Professor Devi Stuart-Fox, BioSciences
- Professor Ann Roberts, Physics
- Professor Ken Crozier, Physics, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Dr James Hutchison, Chemistry
- Dr Daniel Heath, Biomedical Engineering
In nature, an extraordinary diversity of structural forms is achieved with a minimum inventory of components and materials. The search for optimal structural forms, materials and designs inspired by nature has its origins in the early 20th century. Examples of bioinspired materials, structures and surfaces include biomimetic self-repairing structural materials, bioinspired (self-)adaptive adhesion systems, and (self-)adaptive biomimetic facade shading system, Flecton. Bioinspiration is also an emerging area of basic and cognitive research activity associated with design thinking by analogy in architecture, engineering and industrial design.
Investigators
- Professor Mark Elgar, BioSciences
- Professor Brendon McNiven, Melbourne School of Design
- Dr Alberto Pugnale, Melbourne School of Design
- Dr Giorgio Marfella, Melbourne School of Design
- Dr Chris Jensen, Melbourne School of Design
Animals have evolved a remarkable diversity of mechanisms that allow them to detect light, sound and odours, and these sensors have already inspired numerous innovations in sensor technologies.
Investigators
- Dr Wallace Wong, Chemistry
- Professor Mark Elgar, BioSciences
Bioinspired Nano-optics and Materials (University of Illinois and Beckman Institute)
Bioinspired Design in Architecture (Alberto Pugnale)
Bioinspired Chemical Sensors: (Pixabay)