Tech Tuesday: Biomimicry, Sharks & Entrepreneurs

Last week I had lunch with a group from Lafayette’s IveyTech to discuss innovation in the classroom. During the conversation, one of the profs from IveyTech, James Gordon, mentioned a great TED presentation in which a material was being developed to preclude bad stuff from growing on surfaces.  He later provided the TED link. It is well worth every reader viewing! In it, the presenter, Janine Benyus , speaking on the topic of Biomimicry, said the following:

“How does nature repel bacteria? We’re not the first ones to have to protect ourselves from some bacteria. Turns out that — this is a Galapagos Shark. It has no bacteria on its surface, no fouling on its surface, no barnacles. And it’s not because it goes fast. It actually basks. It’s a slow moving shark. So how does it keep its body free of bacteria build-up? It doesn’t do it with a chemical. It does it, it turns out, with the same denticles that you had on Speedo bathing suits,that broke all those records in the Olympics. But it’s a particular kind of pattern. And that pattern, the architecture of that pattern on its skin denticles keep bacteria from being able to land and adhere. There is a company called Sharklet Technologies that’s now putting this on the surfaces in hospitals to keep bacteria from landing. Which is better than dousing it with anti-bacterials or harsh cleansers that many many organisms are now becoming drug resistant. Hospital-acquired infections are now killing more people every year, in the United States than die from AIDS or cancer or car accidents combined, about 100 thousand.”

Sharklet Technologies is a very interesting example of unintended consequences + entrepreneurial mindset = business startup. Dr Anthony Brennan, a Material Science prof at University of Florida, had a gig with the United States Navy to investigate innovative ways to preclude algae and other marine life from fouling ship’s bottoms. Fouling results in drag which in turn reduces fuel economy costing more $$$ to deploy assets. He noticed that submarines are shaped much like whales, but whales have marine growth all over them. (See photo at left from here:) Now here’s where the entrepreneurial mindset comes in. He speculated if not whales, are there other sea creatures that DO NOT appear to be infested with marine growth? And thus, a shark skin-based solution was arrived at and a new company started that has the running room to have a huge impact on many industries, including one that I am personally interested in, keeping the bottoms of sailboats free of marine growth. When your top speed is but six knots, and bottom fouling can easily take a knot or two away from this, you are talking huge speed reduction percentages.

Our sailboat the Halcyon, a 27 foot Hunter (pic below) is in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico moored in our slip on Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX. In this environment, all such watercraft must be hauled every two to three years for a bottom job that takes time and money (for our boat on the order of $3,000 by the time the Fat Lady sings). I’m all for this technology, and what it portends for the future. Thanks to James for the lead! (and watch the TED video!) A couple more links on the subject are included below. I also sent Sharklet an email today for more info about what’s up with boat bottoms but nada yet. Hank

  Info on Sharklet product http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFIj1G_DuAU

And here’s a NOVA film on shark skin and how it does what it does:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCVCr-gS1WM&feature=related

that is related to Sharklet Technologies.

TED-Ideas Worth Spreading: Bill Gates CO2=PSEC

From Fast Company

Bill Gates recently spoke at TED about how the world needs to attack reduction in CO2. As the tagline from TED suggests, his ideas are worth spreading. His 27+ minute presentation is embedded below. For my ENTR200 students, you might note he slipped in several “you knows.” Even the richest “guy” on planet earth is not perfect Hank