Anthony Brennan found inspiration for his breakthrough products in an unlikely source: sharks. Brennan, a University of Florida professor of materials science and engineering, had been looking for a way to keep barnacles from sticking to ship hulls. He wondered why sharks didn't attract barnacles and algae the way whales do. Brennan discovered that microscopic textures on sharkskin make the creatures resistant to barnacles--as well as to bacteria.
Now his company, Sharklet Technologies, recreates those textures to produce germ-deflecting surfaces for hospital countertops, medical devices, office desks, and even iPhone cases. So far, the Aurora, Colorado-based company has raised more than $5 million from investors. "People are surprised that we found such an elegant, environmentally friendly solution from such a fierce predator," says Sharklet CEO Mark Spiecker.
Like Sharklet, other companies are turning to nature for bold ideas about how to solve a range of complex human problems. In the burgeoning field of biomimicry, brine shrimp inspire a new way to preserve DNA, and bees influence energy-saving technology.
The concept of biomimicry, or "bioinspiration," isn't exactly new; Leonardo da Vinci modeled many of his inventions and designs on what he saw in nature and the human body. But lately, interest in the field has been growing. In 2013, the number of biomimicry patents increased 27 percent compared with the prior year, according to the Da Vinci Index, published by Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, which tracks the field.
"We've only scratched the surface," says serial entrepreneur and investor Larry Stambaugh of Rubicon Venture Capital. "Nature may have already solved nearly every problem we face today." Stambaugh, who helped the San Diego Zoo launch its Center for Bioinspiration to assist companies in developing new products, wants to create a venture fund and tech transfer incubator to give biomimicry startups the support they need to get off the ground.