Learning from nature for healthcare, energy, and environment

Have you ever looked into the sky and wondered why birds could fly? Or perhaps why the leaves of cacti are needle-like? Throughout evolution, organisms have experimented with various forms and functions for over 3 billion years before the first human manipulations of stone, bone, and antler. From animal teeth to spears, fish fins to paddles, human beings have studied nature not only to satisfy curiosity but, more importantly, to learn from it for innovations and inventions. Along with the development of technology, our understanding of the creatures in nature goes beyond the pure observation of morphology to investigate exquisite composition and knowledge of fundamentals of their unique functions.