Inspired by structural elements found in most sea sponges, researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Germany have recreated the sponge spicules using the natural mineral calcium carbonate and a protein of the sponge. The resulting material is a synthetic hybrid which has almost 90… »

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (Fraunhofer IWM) in Halle have designed organic tiles which are made of renewable raw materials. These bio-based tiles are more environmentally friendly, light-weight, and more resource- and energy-efficient compared to conventional ceramic materials. Aside being more resource-efficient, the new tiles unlock new creative solutions for designers…. »

Blindness is often caused by corneal diseases which are usually treated with a corneal transplant, but in many cases this is not possible and donor corneas are often hard to come by. In order to solve this problem, a group of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (Fraunhofer IAP) is developing two… »