News Materials Science

Snappy Transition: Venus flytrap inspires new materials

By Sarah Webb

- More than 2 years ago

Inspired by the quick-shut action of the Venus flytrap, researchers have designed a material patterned with microscale hills that can rapidly flip to form valleys. Such materials could serve as fast-release adhesives, sensors in food packaging that detect spoilage, and quick-change lenses.

FLIP-FLOP. In the same way that leaves of Venus flytraps (left) can quickly snap shut, depressions in the surface of a new material (top) can flip into bumps (bottom).