Sponge-inspired metamaterials for medical and aerospace use
Researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard developed a metamaterial based on the lattice silica skeleton of the Venus' flower basket, a deep-sea glass sponge that combines low weight with high mechanical strength. Rather than copying the sponge directly, the team combined finite element analysis with computational fluid dynamics to test hundreds of lattice designs in silico, then 3D-printed and experimentally tested selected versions. The optimised structures raised buckling loads by about 140% on average compared with randomly generated controls and significantly reduced vortex-induced vibrations, with a gyroid-structured extension on a hydrofoil largely suppressing coherent Kármán vortices. The work, published in Scientific Reports, is positioned for use in aircraft and medical devices that must carry loads while managing fluid flow.
3D-printed bioplastic pods for Thai seagrass restoration
A collaboration between Murdoch University and Walailak University is restoring seagrass meadows around Koh Lidi inside Mu Ko Phetra National Park in Satun Province using 3D-printed pods made from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a fully biodegradable bioplastic. The protective dome-and-anchor design shields young seagrass shoots from crabs, fish and turtles while roots grow outward through side slots; the pod is engineered to biodegrade once the plant is established. PHA feedstock is produced at Murdoch's Bioplastics Innovation Hub and at Naresuan University's Joint Laboratory of Waste and the Circular Economy. The pods remain at the prototype stage and are undergoing safety and packaging testing before field trials commence.
Cellulose-based antifreeze agent for fruit trees
Murim P&P signed an MOU on July 21, 2026, with South Korea's Rural Development Administration National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science and Gyeongsang National University to jointly develop an antifreeze agent using nanocellulose (CNF) extracted from natural pulp. The product forms a thin protective film on fruit tree flower buds to limit cold damage, which has grown more frequent as climate change drives abnormal spring cold snaps. Murim P&P, described as the only domestic Korean producer of nanocellulose, will supply raw materials and handle product development and mass production, while the institute runs demonstration trials among fruit farmers and the university performs performance verification. The company estimates the antifreeze could reduce cold damage for fruit farmers by up to 20% compared with existing solutions.
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