New Inspiration from Geckos

Geckos, those cute little lizards from 'Straya that look like they're smiling, have already inspired scientists to do some biomimetics. The Master Engineer gave us minds, and also gave us what is called the dominion mandate that includes learning from nature and applying what we can to our lives.

Credit: Clker clipart

Of course, smart-from-the-beginning-of-creation humans have been copying from nature for a mighty long time, but it took modern technological advances to be able to find out how these critters operate. Just when they thought they could leave the lab and go home, they were stopped at the door for more study.

The skin of geckos repels water quite handily. More than that, it is antibacterial! What does that mean for us? Glad you asked. There are several potential applications, including medical science, where implants would repel potential infections. Once again, Darwinian concepts strain credulity. The gecko gives silent testimony to creation.

Now scientists from universities in Queensland, Australia, including the husband-and-wife team of Drs Gregory and Jolanta Watson, have analyzed the box-patterned gecko, Lucasium steindachneri. They discovered equally remarkable fine structure on gecko skin. But instead of attracting, it repels. The skin is covered with tiny dome-shaped scales about 250 microns (µm) in diameter in a hexagonal pattern . . .In between the scales, the skin is also covered with spinules.

The nano-scale tips mean that dirt particles have only a tiny surface to stick to, so the skin stays clean. The hairs also repel any water, making the skin hydrophobic (from Greek meaning ‘water-fearing’). The tiny domes are also important, because tiny water droplets will roll into the valleys between the domes. Gravity and wind makes these droplets roll more, and they clean off dirt in the process.

To read the rest (especially the fascinating antibacterial part), click on "Drops explode off gecko skin — Gecko skin microstructure also kills bacteria".