Investigating the structural resilience of Euplectella aspergillum Spicules for advanced material design

Nature’s intricate designs have long inspired engineering innovations, with marine sponges offering exceptional insights into biomimetic materials. Among these, the spicules of Euplectella aspergillum (Venus Flower Basket) exhibit remarkable fracture toughness and flexibility, despite being primarily composed of brittle silica. Their hierarchical structure, featuring concentric silica layers bonded by organic interfaces, enhances mechanical resilience, providing a blueprint for advanced materials. Finite element modelling has demonstrated how these structural features improve toughness and energy absorption, making them ideal for bioengineering applications. Recent advances in 3D printing have replicated spicule-like architectures, leading to bio-ceramic scaffolds with superior flexibility and bioactivity. However, gaps remain in understanding mineral bridges, hydration effects, and structural heterogeneity on their mechanical behaviour. This study will explore the fracture resistance and energy dissipation of spicules under bending tests, analyzing how mineral bridges, concentric layering, and organic interphases influence mechanical performance. The findings will provide critical insights for developing bioinspired composites and biomedical scaffolds, optimizing their strength and durability for engineering applications.

Key objectives and potential impact

• Analyze the role of mineral bridges, concentric layering, and organic interphases in enhancing mechanical performance.
• Utilize finite element modelling to simulate stress distribution and failure mechanisms in spicules.
• Explore the effects of hydration and environmental conditions on the mechanical properties of spicules.
• Apply insights from spicule structures to the development of bioinspired materials for engineering and biomedical applications.

This project has the potential to revolutionize material design by translating nature’s optimization strategies into advanced bioinspired composites. By uncovering the mechanisms behind the exceptional fracture resistance and flexibility of sponge spicules, the research will inform the development of stronger, tougher, and more adaptable materials for diverse applications. In biomedicine, these insights could enhance the design of tissue scaffolds and bone implants, improving durability and integration with biological tissues. In engineering, bioinspired materials with superior energy dissipation and mechanical resilience could be used in protective structures, aerospace components, and lightweight composites. Furthermore, understanding how hydration influences mechanical properties could lead to materials with adaptive behaviour in different environments, broadening their real-world applications.

Requirements for candidates: Programming, Finite Element Analysis

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