More and more materials scientists and engineers are involved in Biomimetics, natures almost infinate source of inspiration.Here are a few links to excellent, highly reputable and freely available papers, to help research this approach to science, invention and innovation:
1. Biomimetic materials research: what can we really learn from nature's structural materials?(PDF)
and from the reference list:2. Biomimetic Modelling, Vincent, J.F.V. 2003 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, V.358,P1597-1603 (PDF) (doi:10.1098/rstb.2003.1349).
3. Systematic technology transfer from biology to engineering. Vincent, J.F.V.and; Mann, D.L. 2002 Phil.Trans. R. Soc. A V360,P 159-173 (PDF)
4. Biomimetics: its practice and theory.Vincent, J.F.V., Bogatyreva, O.A., Bogatyrev, N.R., Bowyer, A. and Pahl, A.-K. 2006, J. R. Soc. Interface V3,P471-482(PDF)