LEVEL 02 · 72 examples
72 examples. Process biomimicry emulates how nature makes or does something, such as building materials at room temperature or cleaning water without harsh chemicals.
Plant volatile signaling systems
Plant volatile emission patterns inspire bio-based food preservation sachets that extend shelf life without synthetic chemicals.
Spiders (various species producing different silk types)
Development of high-performance synthetic spider silk proteins for next-generation materials with exceptional strength and flexibility.
Mycelium (fungal networks, various species)
Biohm developed mycelium-based building materials that are affordable, non-toxic, fire-resistant, and fully biodegradable. These materials function as insulation, structural panels, and acoustic treatments in sustainable building design.
Mycelium (fungal networks, various Basidiomycete species)
Ecovative Design engineered mycelium-based packaging materials that are completely compostable and biodegradable. Mycelium (fungal root networks) grows as a natural binder, creating foam-like structures that replace plastic packaging.
Fungi and fungal networks
Novobiom harnesses fungal and mycelium networks to remediate contaminated industrial sites. Fungi naturally break down pollutants and absorb heavy metals, restoring soil health without excavation or chemical treatment.
Waterbirds (uropygial gland preen oil)
Cellulotech's chromatogeny process mimics waterbird preen oil by grafting nanoscale fatty acid molecules onto cellulose fibres, making paper and cardboard superhydrophobic while preserving full recyclability and biodegradability.
Fungal mycelium (Ganoderma and other species)
Ecovative Design grows packaging, leather, and foam from fungal mycelium fed on agricultural waste, replacing petroleum-based polystyrene and plastics with materials that are home-compostable in 30–45 days and produce 90 % fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Fungi Inspired On-site Waste Remediation - Mycocycle Mycocycle works with nature’s master decomposers, fungi, to break down complex waste streams such as construction materials and asphalt.
Bacillus bacteria
Hendrik Jonkers (Dutch researcher) developed self-healing concrete using Bacillus bacteria. The bacteria produce limestone when exposed to water and oxygen, automatically healing concrete cracks.
Golden silk orb-weaver spider (Nephila clavipes)
Spider silk is five times stronger than steel by weight, more elastic than nylon, and biodegradable — yet spiders have never been farmed like silkworms. Bolt Threads and other companies have now synthesised spider silk proteins using yeast fermentation to create the world's highest-performance natural material.
Tree fiber growth patterns
Tree fibre growth patterns inspire fibre-steered timber technology that achieves 90% weight reduction versus concrete.
Aquaporin water channel proteins (found in all organisms)
Reverse osmosis water filtration systems inspired by aquaporin water channel proteins that enable selective, efficient water transport across membranes.
Coral Reef Organisms
Mycosporine-like amino acids replace oxybenzone in sunscreen
PolyGone Systems: Remove microplastics from the world's waters Microplastics are tiny, but they are a huge problem for our water.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and aromatic plants
Nanomik Biotechnology harnesses the volatile chemical defenses that plants use to fight fungal disease — encapsulating them in edible bio-polymer microcapsules that adhere to crops and release protection on demand — replacing toxic synthetic fungicides with nature's own chemistry.
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)
Mussels attach themselves to wet, wave-battered rocks using protein threads that bond to virtually any surface underwater — something no synthetic adhesive has ever matched. Scientists have now synthesised the key molecule (DOPA) to create biomedical glues that work inside the body.
Methanotrophic bacteria (methane-oxidising microorganisms)
Methanotrophic bacteria inspire carbon-negative bioplastic from greenhouse gases, converting methane to polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer.
Pine cone (Pinus spp.) hygroscopic response
Pine cone's humidity-responsive opening/closing mechanism inspires early wildfire detection devices that require no electronics.
Vascular Plants, Sapwood (Xylem Tissue)
Sapwood xylem filters bacteria at 99.9%. Costs nearly nothing.
Plant leaves, citrus peel, rubisco enzyme
Development of biodegradable bioplastics using plant-based materials and enzymatic processes inspired by natural photosynthesis and plant metabolism.
Ecotune: Scaling bio-based, plastic-free leather (and future materials) Pioneers of 100% bio-based materials engineered from the molecular level up, Ecotune mimics the structure and performance of leather.
Nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans)
Nematode chemical signals disrupt pest behaviour without pesticides.
Hard corals (Scleractinia order)
Blue Planet developed concrete aggregates using CO2-sequestering minerals inspired by coral calcium carbonate structures. These aggregates lock CO2 into concrete, reducing emissions while improving building material sustainability.
Anew Material: (Re)imagining the future of Nail Varnish (and all other coatings) Most coatings and nail polishes are made from plastic and harsh chemicals. Anew Material uses proteins found in nature to make coatings that are tough but completely biodegradable.
Bioadhesive technology that sticks to wet surfaces How do you stick something to a wet or uneven surface? Barnacles can adhere to uneven and contaminated surfaces. Spider webs are instantly dry and adhere to wet surfaces.
Cyanobacteria / Blue-Green Algae
Harmful algal bloom biomass replaces petroleum-based EVA foam
Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae class)
Aquammodate harnesses diatom algae for water purification. Diatoms naturally filter and clean water while removing contaminants and accumulating nutrients, enabling low-cost, low-energy water treatment.
Eco-friendly, enzymatic cement How would nature make cement? Oysters, for example, produce an extremely hardy, glue-like substance to attach to rocks.
Termite swarm collective behaviour
Termite swarm coordination logic inspires decentralised building HVAC systems that optimise energy without central controls.
High-performance material made from seaweed waste Soarce is a company using nanoceramics combined with seaweed to make versatile fabrics and materials for the fashion and gear industry without using any plastic.
Arion subfuscus (Spanish slug) mucus composition
Arion subfuscus slug mucus inspires tough, flexible surgical glue adhering to wet tissue surfaces.
Liver Inspired Toxic Free Cleaning Materials - Sudoc One of your body's most amazing organs, The human liver is just incredible - from filtering harmful things from your blood, storing fuel, and even helps you digest food..
Algal cell walls and biopolymers
Algae's structural biopolymers inspire foam materials for fully biodegradable, multifunctional footwear, replacing petroleum-based polymers.
Recycling textile waste into fibre for fabric Fiberly uses biotechnology to turn cellulosic textile waste into fibre, using cotton as an inspiration.
Tardigrades (water bears, Tardigrada phylum)
Vaccine stabilization technology inspired by tardigrade cryptobiosis allowing stable storage without refrigeration.
Spider (Araneae order), specifically orb-weaver spiders
Spintex Engineering and biotech companies develop synthetic spider silk fibers for textiles. Spider silk is stronger than steel of equivalent weight and can absorb significant impact energy, making it ideal for high-performance applications.
Coral / Molluscs
Microbial carbonate precipitation replaces kiln-fired Portland cement
Emboa Medical: Better Stroke Treatment Removing blood clots from the brain is a delicate and difficult job… Yes, it is brain surgery (well sort of - it’s restoring blood flow to the brain).
Vascular Plants (Transpiration)
Plants transpire water through leaves. Applied to sanitation in developing world.
Human lungs and pulmonary physiology
Carbon dioxide removal technology inspired by human lung gas exchange mechanisms for direct air capture.
Mimikai: Nature’s Secret to Insect Repellent Many people dislike the smell and feel of traditional bug sprays like DEET.
New Dawn Bio: Growing Wood in a Lab Cutting down trees for wood is slow and wasteful.
Spider (Araneae order), specifically silk-producing spiders
AMSilk (Germany) produces bioengineered spider silk proteins for cosmetics. Synthetic spider silk creates luxurious, high-performance cosmetics with superior properties and sustainability.
African termite (Macrotermes michaelseni)
The Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe uses no conventional air conditioning, yet maintains a constant temperature year-round — modelled entirely on how African termites regulate heat inside their 3-metre mounds.
Plants and photosynthetic microorganisms
New Iridium and other companies develop light-driven chemical energy systems mimicking photosynthesis. These systems convert light directly into chemical energy (hydrogen, hydrocarbons) without biological organisms.
Human retina photoreceptor and ganglion cell arrays
Human retinal architecture inspires event-based vision sensors generating 1000x less data than conventional cameras whilst capturing motion and edges.
A molecular catalyst for storing energy in systems Azul Energy in Japan has created metal-free catalytic technology through renewable energy for energy storage. What it really boils down to is a special substance that helps speed up chemical reactions without using rare metals.
Hemoglobin and iron-binding proteins
Hemoglobin's oxygen-binding mechanism inspires metal-free catalysts for energy storage, replacing rare-earth elements.
Electrogenic Bacteria
Electrogenic bacteria extract lithium and cobalt without smelting
Bioluminescent dinoflagellates and other microorganisms
Decorative and ambient lighting systems using bioluminescent microorganism culture inspired design principles.
Maize / Sugarcane
Engineering C4 carbon-fixation pathways into C3 crops and industrial reactors
Western Honeybee
Distributed optimisation modelled on bee scout-recruit cycles
Low-impact cobalt and nickel source By 2030, there will be an
Praio: Protocells for sustainable, low-cost chemical production Making ingredients for perfumes or medicines can be expensive and carbon-heavy.
Slime mold (Physarum polycephalum)
Railway system and network design inspired by slime mold's ability to create optimal resource distribution networks without central planning.
Scleractinian coral fluorescent proteins
Coral fluorescent proteins inspire biodegradable, vibrant coloured fibres without synthetic dyes, eliminating textile industry's water pollution.
Dolphin echolocation system
Dolphin echolocation processing inspires S2C acoustic modems achieving accurate underwater communication where conventional sonars fail.
GoodMeat In a world where both animal and plant based products can contribute to climate change in some shape or form, cultured meat is a good alternative.
OptionV Energy: Turning industrial byproducts into useful chemicals Getting minerals for green energy batteries usually involves lots of heat and chemicals. OptionV Energy uses a process inspired by mushrooms to "claw" minerals out of industrial waste instead.
Human Immune System (T-cells, Sentinel Pattern)
Distributed sentinel nodes like immune T-cells.
Inflammation-Reducing Materials Inspired by Viruses We all know how discouraging it can be to fall ill. Viruses and bacteria can attack our bodies by avoiding detection from our immune systems (which is supposed to fight them off for us).
Tidal stream dynamics and water flow
Hemp fiber processing inspired by natural tidal stream patterns for more efficient material separation and processing.
Aspect Biosystems This innovative biotech company produces
Panther Chameleon
Structural colour from chameleon nanocrystal lattices
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
DNA-based digital data storage technology developed by Cache DNA that uses the four DNA bases to encode binary information.
Various insects and human biomechanics
Development of robotic systems combining human movement capabilities with insect-inspired locomotion, strength, and coordination.
Muscle Atrophy Prevention Inspired by Hibernating Squirrels Squirrel image:
Specialized smell sensor technology Figuring out how insects smell led to an amazing discovery—a set of specially made smell receptors that can be used to create highly sensitive biosensors. These sensors can detect and measure thousands of different compounds, the human nose can not.
Sustainable synthetic mucus lubricant What do we use animal-derived mucus for? Gel Matter has developed a mucus product based on that secreted by snails (a massive market for this currently is the skincare industry) which could also be used for different purposes including lubrication, adhesion and
Nature's bottom-up building processes
A 3D printed steel bridge developed by MX3D that uses nature's bottom-up construction principles to build complex structures additively.
Battery components Lithium-sulfur batteries have high capacity but short lifespans, and they must withstand high temperatures during fast discharge.
Earth and clay composition used by humans historically
Traditional adobe building materials and techniques providing thermal mass, breathability, and sustainability for climate-responsive architecture.
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