An Australian-Japanese research team has developed a new antibacterial polymer inspired by insects’ wings for use on food packaging to improve shelf life and reduce waste. The new product was announced in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials on March 27.
Dragonfly and cicada wings are covered by a vast array of nanopillars -- blunted spikes of similar size to bacteria cells. When bacteria settle on a wing, the pattern of nanopillars pulls the cells apart, rupturing their membranes and killing them.
