Media Watch
Strong beetles and stronger sandwiches
Chemical & Engineering News -
The diabolical ironclad beetle … can withstand 39,000 times its own body weight, comparable to the force of being run over by a car on a dirt road. So what’s the secret to their superstrength? A collection of jigsaw-like joints and exoskeleton-adjacent support structures, an exoskeleton composed of three layered cuticles, and helically arranged proteins that together give the bugs multilayered protection, according to new work by David Kisailus at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues …. Read More
This beetle can be driven over by a car and will still survive
ED Times -
“This study really bridges the fields of biology, physics, mechanics and materials science toward engineering applications, which you don’t typically see in research,” said lead author David Kisailus, a UCI professor. While at present, engineers do have the materials required to create innovative aerospace and infrastructural designs, there are still problems in joining various materials together without making them vulnerable to fracture. This is where the research on the diabolical beetle comes in. Read More
UC Irvine researchers study beetle that can survive being run over by a car
Daily Pilot -
The experiment it was involved in was part of a years-long study by UCI professor and principle investigator David Kisailus, who has been seeking to identify what makes the beetle so strong. “This diabolical ironclad beetle is not able to fly away, so it’s adapted to living on the ground,” Kisailus said. … After determining the cause of the beetle’s strength, Kisailus’ lab is working on applying the biological structure of the beetle to things humans engineer. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More
Can't crush this: Beetle armor gives clues to tougher planes and buildings
Houston Herald (AP) -
The beetle study is part of an $8 million project funded by the U.S. Air Force to explore how the biology of creatures such as mantis shrimp and bighorn sheep could help develop impact-resistant materials. “We’re trying to go beyond what nature has done,” said study co-author David Kisailus, a materials scientist and engineer at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
The diabolical ironclad beetle's super-tough shell can even resist being run over by a car
CBC Radio -
David Kisailus, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Irvine, was part of a team that launched a study to find out how the beetle could be so tough. Listen Now
Around Town
Daily Pilot -
Kyriacos Athanasiou, a UC Irvine distinguished professor of biomedical engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. … Athanasiou specializes in developing advanced engineered tissues. He is known for making implants that help cartilage heal and repair itself, the university said in a news release Thursday. The scaffolds provided the first cartilage implant to treat joint defects and have been used as bone and dental fillers. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More
You can't kill this bug, even if you run over it with your car
Best Life -
Meet the diabolical ironclad beetle (pretty boss name, if you ask us). It's only about two centimeters long, but built like a tiny top-0f-the-line military tank—capable of surviving being run over by your car, according to an Oct. 2020 study published in the journal Nature. Yes, this is an actual scientific fact—and one that could lead to groundbreaking engineering innovations. The new study, led by engineers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Purdue University, found that this particular beetle can withstand an applied force of about 150 newtons—roughly 39,000 times its body weight—before the exoskeleton of the insect begins to fracture. Read More
This beetle's stab-proof exoskeleton makes it almost indestructible
Scientific American -
To understand what makes diabolical ironclad beetles so resilient, materials scientist David Kisailus at the University of California, Irvine, and his collaborators imaged the creature using various techniques, including micro computed tomography scans using an X-ray synchrotron, a particle accelerator that produces bright beams of X-ray energy. Read More
Uncrushable beetle reveals its strengths to scientists
Physics World -
David Kisailus at the University of California, Irvine and colleagues found that interlocking sutures in the exoskeletons of the insects allowed them to stiffen when under stress. The team then created artificial materials inspired by this design – which could allow engineers to develop better techniques for fastening objects together. Read More
Uncrushable beetle reveals its strengths to scientists
Army Times -
The beetle study is part of an $8 million project funded by the U.S. Air Force to explore how the biology of creatures can provide solutions to military technological challenges. “We’re trying to go beyond what nature has done,” said David Kisailus, a materials scientist and engineer at the University of California, Irvine, and co-author of a recently published study on the beetle in the journal “Nature.” Read More