A team led by researchers at UC Irvine has won a $904,000 grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for a four-year project to uncover the multiscale architectural features and functions of the exoskeletons of two beetle species. The goal of the work is to reveal new designs that provide robust mechanical properties while exhibiting such other characteristics as thermal stability. The group, led by David Kisailus, UCI professor of materials science and engineering, will work to translate “blueprints” from the creatures’ bodies to develop high-performance, multifunctional engineered materials useful in national defense, aerospace and other applications. Read More