Biomimetics and New Medicines

Biomimetics

Biomimetics or biomimicry involves the imitation of natural biological designs or processes in human-engineered solutions.
It’s a cross-disciplinary field encompassing areas such as biology, engineering, chemistry, and physics.
Biomimetics can provide sustainable solutions to human challenges by minimising environmental impact.
Innovations inspired by biomimetics often result in increased efficiency, resource conservation and a reduced dependence on non-renewable resources.

Examples of Biomimetics

The design of Velcro was inspired by the hooks on burdock burrs, and how they effectively hitch a ride on animal fur.
The Tokyo’s Shinkansen Bullet Train was redesigned based on the kingfisher’s beak to reduce noise and energy use while improving speed.
The self-cleaning properties of lotus leaves have inspired paints, glass and fabrics that resist dirt and water, a concept known as the lotus effect.

Medicines from Nature

A large proportion of pharmaceuticals are derived from natural compounds. The rich diversity in nature often harbour chemical compounds that can be repurposed as drugs.
Biodiversity can act as a great source of new medicines, especially from diverse habitats such as rainforests or coral reefs.
However, the extraction and subsequent patenting of these resources has raised ethical questions surrounding biopiracy and the rights of indigenous communities.

Tradition and Innovation in Medicine

Many communities around the world have long-standing traditions of using local species for medicinal purposes. These traditional practices often inform the search for new drugs.
Ethnobotany, the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people, is often used as a guide to discover new medicinal plants.
The discovery of Taxol, a chemotherapy medication derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, highlights the potential of understudied species to yield medically significant compounds.
The conservation of biodiversity therefore supports not just ecological health, but human health too, enabling continued medical innovation and discovery.

Conservation and Sustainability in Medicine

Effective conservation strategies are necessary to ensure that the use of natural resources for pharmaceutical purposes is sustainable and does not lead to the extinction of valuable species.
Over-harvesting of medicinal plant species, such as the Pacific yew tree for Taxol, can lead to their endangerment.
The development of sustainable harvesting methods and cultivation of medicinal species can ensure the long-term survival of these species and the continued availability of these medicines.