Vascular systems transport fluids and solutes: plants

1 of 1 Vascular bundles in syngonium / Aroid / License

Vascular systems of plants transport fluids and solutes by creating bars of tension by capillary action in leaves to pull water out of the soil and through the plant.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

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Biomimetic Application Ideas

Improved wound healing for diabetes, other cutaneous wounds, and for grafting skin. Microfluidic devices for chemical manufacture and toxicity testing. Microfluidics incorporated into buildings to passively wick away moisture that might accumulate at foundations or in interior spaces prone to toxic mold formation.

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"Vascular structures are the central element of nearly all biological tissues, allowing for efficient convective transport of fluid and solute to all parts of the tissue from a centralized source. Abraham Stroock and colleagues from the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell are developing synthetic biomaterials with embedded microfluidic vascular structures to address two important challenges in the field of wound healing: 1) clinical treatment of severe cutaneous wounds due to burns or diabetes; and 2) in vitro modeling of the wound bed and development of improved epidermal grafts." (Courtesy of the Biomimicry Guild)

About the inspiring organism

Plantae
Plantae

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Improved wound healing for diabetes, other cutaneous wounds, and for grafting skin. Microfluidic devices for chemical manufacture and toxicity testing. Microfluidics incorporated into buildings to passively wick away moisture that might accumulate at foundations or in interior spaces prone to toxic mold formation.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Medical, chemical, architecture

Vascular wound dressing - Microfluidic biomaterials

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Experts

Biomolecular Engineering
Abraham Stroock
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University

Vascular systems transport fluids and solutes: plants

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