Clean technology is a big tent which covers things as diverse as 25-story wind towers, 10 acre algae ponds and processing plants which convert ocean water into drinking water.  The common thread is efficiency.  Anything which can be done can be done better.  Inspiration for many cleantech innovations emanates from solutions which have evolved in nature over eons. 

While man has been keying off nature’s designs for millenniums, it has been only recently that the process was given a name, biomimicry.  (The word is not even in the Microsoft Word spell-check I am using).  Biomimicry is the science of taking inspiration from nature, its systems, processes and elements to solve design problems in a sustainable matter.  Biomimicry has a substantial, robust connection to both cleantech and San Diego.

Cleantech applications of biomimicry include super-efficient wind turbines modeled on the fins of humpback whales, energy-efficient buildings designed after termite mounds and lightweight building materials based on the structure of an abalone shell.  Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, MIT researchers are developing a process that will allow the sun’s energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases.  Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night.

San Diego-based Biomatrica’s technology enables the storage, transport and assaying of DNA, RNA, proteins, cells and virus samples at room temperature without degradation, allowing labs to reduce their reliance on freezers and drastically reduce shipping costs.  Currently, more than 98% of all biological materials are protected from degradation through the “global cold chain” storage on which the world spends more than $34 billion annually.  The founders of Biomatrica, Rolf Muller and Judy Muller-Cohn, got their inspiration while visiting a toy store.  They observed sea monkeys, which are really brine shrimp that are in a dried state but come back to life when rehydrated.

The phenomenon that makes a butterfly’s wings shimmer is the same process used in Qualcomm‘s mirasol displays.  The display works by reflecting light so that specific wavelengths interfere with each other to create color.  The innovation offers low power consumption and superb viewing quality for mobile devices.

Last October, the San Diego Zoo and the Biomimicry Institute held the second annual Biomimicry Symposium in San Diego.  Janine Benyus, an eloquent proponent of biomimicry, is the president of the Biomimicry Institute.  Her presentation was the high point of the two day event.  We can anticipate that the San Diego Zoo will continue to be a key player in this fast growing field.  Like the Zoo, the City of San Deigo is also committed to building on the region’s strengths in the field.  An active champion for biomimicry, Jacques Chirazi is the Program Manager of the Cleantech Initiative in the Mayor’s Office. 

On April 20th CONNECT will present Exercising Your Imagination through Biomimicry.  The presenters will be Lee Hagey, Ph.D. Biomimicry Expert, Zoological Society of San Diego, Project Scientist, UCSD School of Medicine and Jon Prange Venture Business Manager Zoological Society of San Diego.  Click here to register.

To learn more about how technology imitates life, visit the websites for the Biomimicry Institute and Bioneers.

Click video for 2009 Biomimcry Conference