Advances in Biomimicry and Biofabrication   

As a young faculty member at UL-Lafayette, I began teaching senior-level courses each semester on social, ethical and environmental issues that confront private-sector organizations. This wasn’t long after the passage of major national legislation such as the EPA, The Clean Air Act, and The Clean Water Act. There were certainly those then who opposed governmental initiatives to confront environmental threats. Among the critics, were the so-called “techno-optimists.” They claimed that, despite environmental threats, there was little reason for much government concern or action. Future technology developments would overcome such environmental hazards and climate change possibilities.

Decades of research and technological developments have witnessed breakthroughs that have led to the reduction of some environmental consequences, but today’s specter of climate change and biodiversity loss appears much gloomier than four or five decades ago. Even promising technological advances, such as hydrogen fuel cells or other alternative energy sources, must eventually pass tests of economic viability or scalability amid shifting trends in political support.

Among more optimistic areas of recent technological development are several that are significant now, and will become even more so, for the timber and forest products industry. Biomimicry approaches seek to mimic plant and animal strategies found in nature. Biofabrication designs and production of materials, structures, and systems apply knowledge of particular biological entities and processes.

For example, the self-repairing mechanisms of plants and animals continue to be studied by scientists in diverse fields. Polymers are being developed for use in materials that can heal cracks and scratches that these materials later absorb – through activation of embedded enzymes and chemicals. Certain self-healing polymers, as components within wood products, can also improve their fire resistance. Another innovation, superhydrophobic surfaces, can mimic the lotus leaf's extraordinary water-repellent ability. Researchers are developing superhydrophobic coatings for better waterproofing fabrics, solar panels, and wood-related surfaces.

Multiple authors, all faculty at the University of Colorado, shared a further biofabrication breakthrough in their article in the March 2023 on-line journal Nature Energy. Air within typical double-pane windows can be replaced by a transparent gel made from wood that drastically improves their insulating and energy-saving capabilities. They claim that this insulating aerogel film could be made inexpensively on a large scale, is more transparent than glass, and could be used in retrofitting existing windows.  

Universities and third-sector organizations have been actively engaged in biomimicry education and research. The Biomimicry Institute was founded in 2006 to help K-12, university, and other educators prepare the next generation of change makers with the tools to integrate biomimicry into their careers. The Biomimicry Center at Arizona State University working jointly with Biomimicry 3.8, a bio-inspired global consulting and training firm , share some similar goals as the Biomimicry Institute.

American universities doing higher-profile biomimicry and biofabrication research that seems relevant for the timber and forest products industry include: 1) the University of Maine (cellulose nanofibers and engineered wood products); 2) MIT (cellulose-based structures and bioprinting for wood products); 3) Cal-Berkeley (fire-retardant wood treatments and bio-inspired adhesives); 4) University of Washington (wood composites and cross-laminated timber); and 5) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (bio-based coatings or treatments for timber products)

Universities closer to home also devote significant educational and research resources toward biofabrication potentials. LSU has a School of Renewable Natural Resources and a Forest Products Development Center. While LSU has more resources for biomimicry and biofabrication research, other state institutions also conduct these investigations. Tulane has graduate programs in biomolecular engineering. Among UL-Lafayette’s programs in its Department of Chemical Engineering is a bioengineering concentration.

Corporate business leaders typically use strategic planning approaches to plot their organizations’ futures. They seek to understand their existing internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external threats and opportunities in order to determine corporate strategies. So, line and staff managers in forest products corporations must stay abreast of important biomimicry and biofabrication advances.

Many larger companies do more than simply monitor scientific and technological developments. Some have sophisticated R&D units with clinical and field laboratories that are directly involved in the discovery process. Top managers recognize, however, many of their own company’s R&D limitations. Internal R&D efforts can be costly in terms of technological staffing, facilities, and equipment – plus these corporations can’t be actively involved in many possibly relevant research initiatives underway globally. So, they occasionally join consortia or form partnerships with other organizations that are conducting related scientific research.

When larger companies partner with research institutions and universities doing applied research, company employees can sometimes work together on R&D projects with faculty and staff at these institutions. Research universities get corporate contributions of dollars and other key resources, while the companies involved get earlier or more direct access to scientific and technological advancements. The companies might also be able to hire a few of these graduating university students having specialized knowledge.

Biomimicry and biofabrication applications are much broader than the few examples mentioned earlier that might be relevant for certain forest products companies. Books such as Biomimicry and Business (Margo Farnsworth, 2020) provide much more information on business applications.

Health research initiatives include using 3D bioprinters to create complex tissue structures with living cells and biocompatible materials for human organ repair and transplantation. The integration of living cells with synthetic materials is also creating bio-hybrid sensory equipment that can facilitate more accurate and quicker responses to wildlife and climate threats. You don’t have to be a full-fledged “techno-optimist” to welcome advances when and where these occur.