As meticulously observed and recorded by Darwin, the leaves of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis L. slowly fold around insects trapped on their sticky surface in order to ensure their digestion. While the biochemical signaling driving leaf closure has been associated with plant growth hormones, how mechanical forces actuate the process is still unknown. Here, we combine experimental tests of leaf mechanics with quantitative measurements of the leaf microstructure and biochemistry to demonstrate that the closure mechanism is programmed into the cellular architecture of D. capensis leaves, which converts a homogeneous biochemical signal into an asymmetric response. Inspired by the leaf closure mechanism, we devise and test a mechanical metamaterial, which curls under homogeneous mechanical stimuli. This kind of metamaterial could find possible applications as a component in soft robotics and provides an example of bio-inspired design.

Metamaterial architecture from a self-shaping carnivorous plant / C.A.M. La Porta, M.C. Lionetti, S. Bonfanti, S. Milan, C. Ferrario, D. Rayneau-Kirkhope, M. Beretta, M. Hanifpour, U. Fascio, M. Ascagni, L. De Paola, Z. Budrikis, M. Schiavoni, E. Falletta, A. Caselli, O. Chepizhko, A. Tuissi, A. Vailati, S. Zapperi. - In: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. - ISSN 0027-8424. - 116:38(2019 Sep 26), pp. 18777-18782. [10.1073/pnas.1904984116]

Metamaterial architecture from a self-shaping carnivorous plant

C.A.M. La Porta
Primo
;
M.C. Lionetti
Secondo
;
S. Bonfanti;C. Ferrario;M. Beretta;U. Fascio;E. Falletta;A. Caselli;A. Vailati
Penultimo
;
S. Zapperi
Ultimo
2019

Abstract

As meticulously observed and recorded by Darwin, the leaves of the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis L. slowly fold around insects trapped on their sticky surface in order to ensure their digestion. While the biochemical signaling driving leaf closure has been associated with plant growth hormones, how mechanical forces actuate the process is still unknown. Here, we combine experimental tests of leaf mechanics with quantitative measurements of the leaf microstructure and biochemistry to demonstrate that the closure mechanism is programmed into the cellular architecture of D. capensis leaves, which converts a homogeneous biochemical signal into an asymmetric response. Inspired by the leaf closure mechanism, we devise and test a mechanical metamaterial, which curls under homogeneous mechanical stimuli. This kind of metamaterial could find possible applications as a component in soft robotics and provides an example of bio-inspired design.
Drosera capensis; bending; biomechanics; metamaterials
Settore MED/04 - Patologia Generale
Settore FIS/03 - Fisica della Materia
   Size effects in fracture and plasticity
   SIZEFFECTS
   EUROPEAN COMMISSION
   FP7
   291002

   On demand design of reversible shape changing metamaterials (METADESIGN)
   METADESIGN
   EUROPEAN COMMISSION
   H2020
   841640
26-set-2019
26-ago-2019
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/673140
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