Media Watch
Research team develops insulating material inspired by skin cells of squid
Packaging Europe -
Engineers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have developed a composite material that mimics the expansion and contraction of chromatophores on the skin of squid that control infrared light and heat transmission, which it claims can be cost-effectively scaled for insulating applications such as beverage cups. Developed in the laboratory of Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the infrared-reflecting metallised polymer film reportedly regulates heat through reconfigurable metal structures that can reversibly separate from one another and come back together under different strain levels. Read More
Squid skin inspires heat-regulating coffee cup
Freethink -
Researcher says retooling flood control systems could help beaches
Spectrum News 1 -
Brett Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCI walked along a flood control channel in Fountain Valley and scooped up a handful of gritty material piled up on the side of where the water flows through. … Sanders said the sediment could be used at beaches with eroding shorelines, like the stretch of sand north of San Clemente. Instead, the sand is stuck along the concrete that makes up the Santa Ana River, an unintended consequence of a flood control channel, according to Sanders. Read More
Droughts are cutting into California’s hydropower. Here’s what that means for clean energy.
MIT Technology Review -
During high-stress times on the grid, the reduced reliability of hydropower is already causing problems, says Brian Tarroja, an energy researcher at the University of California, Irvine. … These difficulties are likely to continue, Tarroja says. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns and causing higher temperatures, even if overall precipitation stays constant. The effects are likely to challenge hydropower in the coming decades. Read More
Squid-inspired packaging keeps contents not too hot, not too cold, but just right
Anthropocene -
Inspired by the way squid skin changes color, researchers have made a temperature-regulating material for coffee cups, takeout containers, grocery delivery bags, and shipping boxes. … “There is an enormous array of applications for this material,” said University of California, Irvine chemical and biomolecular engineering [associate] professor Alon Gorodetsky …. Read More
Rainfall Totals: 1+ Inch of Rain in Parts of San Diego County Not Enough to Pull From Drought, Expert Says
NBC San Diego -
UC Irvine professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Amir AghaKouchak said while the rainfall was significant, it is not likely enough to pull the region out of drought. … “It's better than last year, but we will remain under drought situation this year, at least that's how it looks like. … From an ecosystem perspective, wildfires around us are increasing over the years and drought is a major contributor," AghaKouchak said. "With prolonged drought, chance of wildfires increase and with that, poor air quality, potential health impacts, even long-term chronic impacts." Read More
Squid skin inspires versatile new "tunable" insulating material
New Atlas -
A team of engineers led by [associate engineering professor] Alon Gorodetsky at the University of California, Irvine, has come up with a new infrared-reflecting, metalized polymer film inspired by the color-changing skin of the squid. The tunable insulating properties of the composite could make it useful in everything from coffee cups to shipping containers, plus its recyclable and can be manufactured economically at scale. Read More
Squid skin inspires material that keeps stuff hot (or cool)
Futurity -
Taking inspiration from squid skin, researchers have invented an adaptive composite material that can insulate beverage cups, restaurant to-go bags, parcel boxes, and even shipping containers. … “The metal islands in our composite material are next to one another when the material is relaxed and become separated when the material is stretched, allowing for control of the reflection and transmission of infrared light or heat dissipation,” says Alon Gorodetsky, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
Squid skin-inspired cup cozy will keep your hands cool and your coffee hot
Phys.org -
Drawing inspiration from cephalopod skin, engineers at the University of California, Irvine invented an adaptive composite material that can insulate beverage cups, restaurant to-go bags, parcel boxes and even shipping containers. The innovation is an infrared-reflecting metallized polymer film developed in the laboratory of Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. In a paper published today in Nature Sustainability, Gorodetsky and his team members describe a large-area composite material that regulates heat by means of reconfigurable metal structures that can reversibly separate from one another and come back together under different strain levels. Read More
UCI Professor Starts Fundraiser For Ukrainian Scholars Fleeing Violence
KCBS -
It’s been 20 years since professor Iryna Zenyuk, [engineering associate professor], left Ukraine, but even as time passes all she remembers is the peaceful childhood she had. … Recently, Zenyuk launched a $100,000 fundraising campaign to make UCI the host for at least four Ukrainian scholars and their families. … “For now this is an opportunity for them to come here to continue their research and continue their scientific activities until the war ends,” she said. Read More