Biological & Bioinspired Materials
Micromorphology, Mechanics & Sustainable Biomimetics
design at small scales
Structural architectures at super tiny (micro/nano) scales in nature exhibit high diversity, multifunctionality, and might govern organisms’ interactions with their environment. I am interested in the fundamental physics and mechanics of these small-scale structures within an ecological context, aiming to translate these principles into practical and sustainable biomimetic applications. As part of this pursuit, I explore a broad spectrum of terrestrial and aquatic organisms, such as plants, insects, stingrays, sharks, and more. For further details, visit my research page.
(the picture in the background is an electron microscope image showing micro/nanowrinkles on a leaf surface)
Latest research and news
Blue spots on stingray skin: a unique natural photonic glass
Blue coloration is common in nature and most often a structural color, resulting from interaction of light with tissue nanoarchitectures. We show that the electric blue structural color on stingray skin arises from a unique intracellular core-shell photonic glass, coherently scattering blue, while broadband absorption from melanin granules in the tissue prevents the low color-saturation typical for artificial photonic glasses.
‘FSBI Small Research Grant’ to study filtration mechanics in basking sharks
Dr. Amar received ‘Small Research Grant’ from the Fisheries Society of the British Isles, UK to study fluid-structure interactions of filter structures of massive critically-endangered basking sharks at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. This planned study will show the way basking sharks filter plankton and suspended particles – thus informing ecological biomechanics relevant for conservation of these species, as well as design features pertinent for bioinspired filters.
