Wood self-assembles: trees

1 of 2 Wood: An Organic Compound / Ivona Sandru / License

The cell walls of wood in trees self-assemble through structural features, not biochemistry.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Make >
	Chemically assemble >
	Organic compounds

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Creating construction materials with the properties of wood.

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

A better understanding of how the cell wall of wood forms will someday help wood scientists assemble wood-like composites without using trees. The current hypothesis is that the cell wall of wood does not require biochemistry to form, but self-assembles spontaneously because of structural features. Researchers are studying this process carefully, in hopes that someday wood-like materials can be produced from other plant-derived molecules. (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: Creating construction materials with the properties of wood.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Construction

Autocatalytic polymerization - Molecular nano-wires

Experts

Department of Wood Science and Forest Products
Wolfgang Glasser (emeritus)
College of Natural Sciences, Virginia Tech

Wood self-assembles: trees

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