Course Outcome 1:

Overview of Biomimetics and

the Biomolecules (Part 1)

Prof. UREAH THEA A. SEVILLA

BIO20 Introduction to Biomimetics
Engineering and Component Design School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials
Engineering and Sciences

Introduction to Biomimetics
• Biomimetics is the scientific method of
learning new principles and processes
based on systematic study, observation
and experimentation with live animals
and organisms.
• Biomimetics is a novel approach to
developing designs and products or to
solving human problems by taking
inspiration from nature.

(In Mechanical Engineering)

Aircraft wing design and flight
techniques inspired by birds
and bats (J.E. Guerrero et al.; C. R. Mecanique, 340, 67–80., 2012.)

1
Introduction to Biomimetics
Because there are so many pillars so close together, they are held tightly
Biomimetics Application to the surface the gecko is walking on by a molecular force called the
Van der Waals force.

(In Manufacturing and Material Science Engineering

and Component Designs)
(Hawkes, E. and Cutkosky, et al. (2014)

Introduction to Biomimetics
(In Civil Engineering and Architecture)
The Canton tower designed by Mark Hemel,
was inspired by the female hip joint.
He created a slim waist in the middle of the
tower just as a fair lady twists her waist while
looking behind.

The strength of thinnest part (diameter about 32 yards) was inspired by

the compact bone. The tightening caused by the rotation between the
two ellipses forms a "waist" and a densification of material halfway up
the tower.
This means that the bottom of the tower is
porous and spacious, and becomes denser at
waist level. The waist itself becomes tight, like
a twisted rope; transparency is reduced and
views to the outside are limited.
Information Based Architecture – www.iba. bv.com

2
Introduction to Biomimetics
• How can we build materials, like biological systems do, at the
molecular level?
Molecular self-assembly refers to a system in which molecules organize
themselves according to their properties.

(Sadat-Shojai, Mehdi. 2015)

Introduction to Biomimetics
Challenges to Engineers and Scientist

• Designs that bring tangible solutions to some of the world’s most

pressing sustainability problems:
• Human safety
• Food security

• Applications of biomimetics in manufacturing, products, shipping

industries and medicine
• Robotics, including the development of human-like robots

3
Introduction to Biomimetics
Specific Problem Areas where Biomimicry Can Be Involved:
• Energy efficient movement on water
• Energy efficient movement in rugged terrain
• Mechanical energy storage, short duration high impact energy
in/output -- long lasting low impact energy in/output
• Navigation
• Active lumination in darkness
• Detection of victims in catastrophes
• Prevention of personal attacks

Biomimetics for Engineering Design

• Using biomimetics for engineering design involves a number of steps:
• Search for relevant analogies
• Proper analysis of the biological solutions
• Interpretation and identification of design principles
• Design of the desired artifacts

4
Biomimetics for
Engineering
Design
A biomimetics search
can be done using
different sources of
biological information
–specifically
biomolecular features.

Structures and Functions of Carbohydrates,

Course Outcome 1: Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids.

Lecture Outline:
• The Biological Molecules (Biomolecules)
• Carbohydrates – structure and function
• Lipids – structure and function
• Proteins – structure and function
• Nucleic Acids – structure and function

What properties do Carbohydrates have that make them relevant in the

innovation of technology or in biomimetics?

5
Carbohydrate Function
General functions:
• Immediate source of energy
• Storage form of energy
• Structural component of the cells

Other functions:
intermediates in the biosynthesis of other basic biochemical entities (fats
and proteins)
associated with other entities such as glycosides, vitamins and antibiotics)
participate in biological transport, cell-cell recognition, activation of growth
factors, modulation of the immune system

Carbohydrate Structures
Monosaccharides
- Basic unit of
Carbohydrates
- Consists of C, H, O with
1:2:1 ratio
- Generally polar
Oligosaccharides
- common structures are
disaccharides
Polysaccharides
- Polymers of
monosaccharides

6
Carbohydrate Structures

Linking of two monosaccharide units

occurs with dehydration or condensation
reaction (removal of water) with the
formation of a bond called Glycosidic
Bond.

Carbohydrate Structure: Polysaccharides

• Homopolysaccharides (e.g. starch, cellulose, glycogen, chitin)
• Heteropolysaccharides (e.g. gums)

• Characteristics:
• polymers (MW from 200,000)
• White and amorphous products (glassy)
• not sweet
• not reducing (do not give the typical aldose or ketose reactions)
• form colloidal solutions or suspensions

7
Homopolysaccharide: Starch
• most common storage polysaccharide in plants
• composed of a-amylose and amylopectin structures

Homopolysaccharide: Glycogen
• Storage carbohydrates in muscle and liver
• present in cells as granules (high MW)
• contains both a(1,4) links and a(1,6) branches at every 8 to 12
glucose unit

8
Homopolysaccharide: Cellulose
• Most abundant of all carbohydrates (woody plant tissues)
• Cotton flax: 97-99% cellulose
• Wood: ~ 50% cellulose
• Polymer of b-D-glucose attached by b(1,4) linkages

Homopolysaccharide: Cellulose

9
Homopolysaccharide: Cellulose
Inter- and Intra-chain Hydrogen Bonding of Glucose in Cellulose

Homopolysaccharide: Cellulose
Products obtained from Cellulose
• Microcrystalline cellulose : used as binder-disintegrant in tablets
• Methylcellulose: suspending agent and bulk laxative
• Oxidized cellulose: hemostat
• Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose: laxative
• Cellulose acetate: rayon; photographic film; plastics
• Cellulose acetate phthalate: enteric coating
• Nitrocellulose: explosives; collodion (pyroxylin)

10
 Homopolysaccharide: Chitin
• Chitin is the second most abundant carbohydrate polymer
• Present in the cell wall of fungi and in the exoskeletons of
crustaceans, insects and spiders
• Chitin is used commercially in coatings
(extends the shelf life of fruits and meats)

Exoskeleton of Cicada.

Exoskeleton of butterfly.

Chitin used to make strong,

flexible surgical threads that
decomposes after the wound
or incision heal. Molting and shedding off
of exoskeleton of Cicada

11
Homopolysaccharide: Chitin
Hierarchical structures of crustacean shells

(Ilnicka, A. and Lukaszewicz, J. 2015).

Linear structures of cellulose and chitin

(2 most abundant polysaccharides)

12
Heteropolysaccharide: Gum Tragacanth
• Gum tragacanth is a viscous, odorless, tasteless, water-soluble
mixture of polysaccharide obtained from sap
• Polysaccharide is composed of D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, L-
fucose, D-xylose, L-arabinose
• widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry
used as: suspending agents, gelling
agents, thickening agents,
emulsifiers, foam stabilizers,
crystallization inhibitors, adhesives,
binding agents

Astragalus gummifer

Applications to Biomimetics
• Chitosan has been used in many medical applications. It serves as
biomimetic material of anti-hemoglobin antibodies to create an
imprinted recognition surface of hemoglobin beads.
• Glycocalyx-mimetic peptoid that serve as biofouling surfaces

Hyun Ok Ham, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (35), pp 13015–13022

13
Applications to Biomimetics
• Polysaccharide admixture (cement)
• Chitosan
• Xanthan Gum
• Welan gum (l-mannose, l-rhamnose, d-glucose, and d-glucuronic
acid)
• Succinoglucan
• Curdlan - industrial applications include adsorption of heavy
metals and admixture to concrete.

Applications to Biomimetics
Studies on chitosan as an admixture for cement-based materials:
Assessment of its viscosity enhancing effect and complexing ability for
heavy metals (M. Lasheras-Zubiate, I. Navarro-Blasco, J. M. Fernández and J. I. Alvarez, Journal of
Applied Polymer Science, 2010)

• Chitosan was proved to act as a thickener in cement mixtures.

• Chitosans of different molecular weights were assessed as cement
admixtures to modify the rheological properties of a fresh cement paste.
The highest molecular weight chitosan showed the greatest effectiveness
taking into account its combined role as heavy metal retainer and
thickener. In addition, a clear interaction between this high molecular
weight chitosan and cement particles was also demonstrated.

14
Applications to Biomimetics
Welan gum: Microbial production, characterization, and
applications (Varinder Kaur, Manav B. Bera, Parmjit S. Panesar, Harish
Kumar, J.F. Kenned, Int. Journ. of Biological Macromolecule, 2014)

• Welan is an environment friendly natural exopolysaccharide, produced

fermentatively.
• Structurally, it is composed of l-mannose, l-rhamnose, d-glucose, and d-
glucuronic acid.
• It is available commercially to use in cement compositions.
• It also has commercial applications in oil-well drilling.
• Present review is focused on welan gum production, purification, recovery
and conformational characterization of welan gum.

Structures and Functions of Carbohydrates,

Course Outcome 1: Lipids, Proteins and Nucleic acids.

Lecture Outline:
• The Biological Molecules (Biomolecules)
• Carbohydrates – structure and function
• Lipids – structure and function
• Proteins – structure and function
• Nucleic Acids – structure and function

What properties do Lipids have that make them relevant in the innovation of
technology or in biomimetics?

15
Lipid Function
General functions:
• Storage form of energy (triacylglycerols)
• Structural component of the cells
• Cell signaling

Other functions:
- form the basis of steroid hormones
- structure derivatives of fat-soluble
vitamins (isoprene-based lipids)

Lipid Structure: Fatty Acids Bond-Line Notation of FAs

• Fatty acids are the basic unit of lipids

• FAs are generally nonpolar
• FAs are classified into
Saturated and Unsaturated FAs

Lewis Structures of FAs

16
Lipid Structure: Fatty Acids
Numerical Common Name Structure Melting temp.,
Symbol C

14:0 Myristic acid CH3(CH2)12COOH 53.9

16:0 Palmitic acid CH3(CH2)14COOH 63.1
16:19 Palmitoleic acid CH3(CH2)5CH=CH(CH2)7COOH – 0.5
18:0 Stearic acid CH3(CH2)16COOH 69.6
18:19 Oleic acid CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH 13.4
18:29,12 Linoleic acid CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH –5
18:39,12,15 Linolenic acid CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH – 11
20:45,8,11,14 Arachidonic acid CH3(CH2)3(CH2CH=CH)4(CH2)3COOH – 49.5

Physical Properties of Fatty Acids

FACTORS affecting FA properties
• Length of hydrocarbon chain
• Degree of unsaturation

Solubility to water
- FAs have poor solubility in H2O
*the longer the FA chain and fewer double bonds, the lower its solubility in water.
Ex:
Arrange the ff. FAs accdg. to increasing solubility in water: 16:0; 20:0; 18:0; 16:19

Melting point
*unsaturated FAs have lower MP than saturated FAs.

17
Physical Properties of Fatty Acids
% Fatty Acid
State at RT Saturated Unsaturated
25C C4-C12 C14 C16 C18 C16 + C18
Olive oil Liquid <2 <2 13 3 80
Butter Solid (soft) 11 10 26 11 40
Beef fat Solid (hard) <2 <2 29 21 46

• Why do Saturated FAs have higher melting temperature than

Unsaturated FAs?

Lipid Structure: Fatty Acids

Why do Saturated FAs have higher melting temperature than
Unsaturated FAs?
• Saturated fatty acids adopt a fully extended conformation, pack well,
and have strong van der Waals attractions between molecules
• Cis double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids put bends in the chain
• Unsaturated fatty acid chains pack poorly and have weaker van
der Waals attractions between molecules than saturated fatty
acids
• Unsaturated fatty acids have lower melting points than saturated
fatty acids with the same number of carbons

18
Essential Fatty Acids
• Not synthesized by the body
• Precursors for long chain FAs (>16C)

Common Dietary Fatty Acids

• Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids

• Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Elaidic acid is the trans-isomer of oleic acid.

Trans-fats are believed to be bad for health.

19
Common Dietary Fatty Acids
• Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Lipid Class: Triacylglycerol (Structure & Function)

• Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are primarily used as an energy reserve in
animals as well as in plant cells.
• When they are metabolized they yield more than twice the amount of energy per gram that
carbohydrates do
• Fats are a form of long-term energy storage, whereas carbohydrates are a source of rapid-
release energy
• TAGs consist of three FAs attached to a glycerol backbone.

20
 Lipid Class: Triacylglycerol (Structure & Function)
• Commercial use of TAGs – Saponification to produce soaps

• In water, soaps exist in soluble spherical clusters called micelles.

• Micelles have the hydrophilic carboxylate group of the fatty acid salt on
the outside exposed to water

Lipid Class: Waxes

• Waxes are esters of long-chain fatty acids.

• Epicuticular wax is a coating of wax covering the outer surface of the

plant cuticle in plants.

The lotus leaf exhibits super hydrophobicity.

Both the upper side and the lower side of
the lotus leaf are covered with wax tubules.

21
Lipid Class: Phospholipids (Structure & Function)
• Phospholipids are a class of lipids that are a major component of
all cell membranes as they can form lipid bilayers.

Lipid Class: Phospholipids (Structure & Function)

• The Cell Membrane is semi-permeable.

22
Lipid Class: Phospholipids (Structure & Function)
• The Cell Membrane contains other biomolecules aside from
phospholipids

Applications to Biomimetics
• Biomimetic membranes may provide an alternative to current
Reverse osmosis and Nanofiltration membranes e.g. for industrial
separation and wastewater treatment.

23
Applications to Biomimetics
• The lipid bilayers provide a matrix for biological interactions and
transduction.
The lipid bilayer closely mimics a cellular
membrane, creating an impermeable barrier
around the wire, yet this barrier can incorporate
membrane proteins.

Device schematics showing an ion channel

embedded in the lipid bilayer covering the silicon
nanowire (SiNW). S and D denote source and drain
electrodes and Vg is the applied gate voltage.

Noy, A., Misra, N., Martinez,J. (2009) Lipid-coated

nanowires enable small-scale bioelectronics.

Applications to Biomimetics
The Lotus Leaf Effect
• Lotus leaves have become an icon for
superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning
surfaces, and have led to the concept of
the ‘Lotus effect’.
e.g. Lotusan Paint

24
References:
• J.E. Guerrero et al. (2012). Biomimetic spiroid winglets for lift and drag control, C.
R. Mecanique, 340, 67–80.
• Hawkes, E. and Cutkosky, et al. (2014) Human climbing with efficiently scaled
gecko-inspired dry adhesives, J.R.Soc. Interface 12: 20140675.
• Voet ,Voet and Pratt, Biochemistry 3rd ed. Wiley Publication (2008).
• Starr and Taggart, Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, 10th edition,
Wadsworth Group, Thomson Learning, Inc., California (2004).
• Ilnicka, A. and Lukaszewicz, J. Discussion remarks on the role of wood and chitin
constituents during carbonization, Frontiers in Materials, 2015.
• Sadat-Shojai, Mehdi. (2015). Calcium Phosphate–Reinforced Polyester
Nanocomposites for Bone Regeneration Applications. 1-34. 10.1201/b19314-2.
• Yosef Bar Cohen, Biomimetics – Biologically Inspired Technologies, CRC press,
2006.

References:
• Hyun Ok Ham, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (35), pp 13015–13022
• Noy, A., Misra, N., Martinez,J. (2009) Lipid-coated nanowires enable small-scale
bioelectronics.
• Varinder Kaur, Manav B. Bera, Parmjit S. Panesar, Harish Kumar, J.F. Kenned,
Int. Journ. of Biological Macromolecule, 2014
• M. Lasheras-Zubiate, I. Navarro-Blasco, J. M. Fernández and J. I. Alvarez,
Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2010
• Torben Lenau, Biomimetics as a Design Methodology, Int’l Conf. on Engg Des.
Stanford Univ., 2009
• Ensikat, H. J., Ditsche-Kuru, P., Neinhuis, C., & Barthlott, W. (2011).
Superhydrophobicity in perfection: the outstanding properties of the lotus leaf.
Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 2, 152–161.

25