In 2016, we looked across industries and knew one thing for certain: the world needed more nature-inspired solutions to correct for generations of extractive, polluting business practices. In collaboration with our visionary funding partners, The Ray C. Anderson Foundation, the Biomimicry Institute launched a $100,000 prize competition to catalyze nature-inspired design. Between 2016-2019 we awarded 4 Grand Prizes to top biomimicry design concepts, known as the Ray of Hope Prize. Through this time, we began to see that supporting design ideas was simply not enough. We needed to support those ..read more

At first glance, the importance of replacing existing pigments and dyes with nature-inspired alternatives may not be obvious. The environmental impacts from pigments are hard to quantify, but it is a $30 billion industry that is heavily reliant on mining and high energy usage. Synthetic dyes are poorly biodegradable, can cause mutations and metabolic alterations, often have carcinogenic effects, and tend to bioaccumulate. All of this amounts to enormous environmental effects, and organisms and human beings are paying the price. Now a Short Science Lesson  The visible light ..read more

It’s been a consultant for NASA, shot at by police and mistaken for an alien. How slime mold–a brainless, single-celled organism–mapped the dark universe, keeps challenging the top minds to rethink what intelligence even is and has an ability to fill us with wonder beyond the human kind. No powerful limbs. No aerodynamic wings. So slow, movement can only be noticed with a timelapse video. So why are the experts turning to slime mold for mobility breakthroughs? When it comes to revolutionizing the auto and robotics industries, we’re surrounded by innovations from electric and hydrogen-fueled ..read more

Password Protected To view this protected post, enter the password below: Password: Submit The post Protected: When Even the Brainless Have Answers We Don’t appeared first on Biomimicry Institute ..read more

Password Protected To view this protected post, enter the password below: Password: Submit The post Protected: Is a Blob Capable of Rethinking Our Built World Without Bias, Boundaries—or a Brain? appeared first on Biomimicry Institute ..read more

Password Protected To view this protected post, enter the password below: Password: Submit The post Protected: Your Next Flight May Be Designed by Slime Mold and Human Bones appeared first on Biomimicry Institute ..read more

Password Protected To view this protected post, enter the password below: Password: Submit The post Protected: Slime Mold 101: Meet the Genius Without a Brain appeared first on Biomimicry Institute ..read more

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Password Protected To view this protected post, enter the password below: Password: Submit The post Protected: Nature in the Classroom: A Conversation with Dorna Schroeter, a Biomimicry Educator appeared first on Biomimicry Institute ..read more

Strong by Form, a leading Spanish bio-composite technology company and 2022 Ray of Hope Prize® finalist, has just announced the completion of a $5.2 million seed funding round. We couldn’t be prouder of the team, and more thrilled to see investment going to nature-inspired sustainability ventures. What makes Strong by Form so special? Recognizing the strength and flexibility of wood, humans––like birds and beavers before us––have long used it for construction. But when using wood, we have tended to focus on supporting our structures at the macro scale, using large, straight beams and planks t ..read more