What has science done with it?
A curated, cited encyclopedia of research uses of natural and inert materials, from mycelium to minerals. 277 topics, 118 elements and 1023 cited entries so far.
Gd
New: the Elements
An interactive periodic table of all 118 elements, each with basic facts and the cited research that uses it, from gadolinium in MRI to lanthanides in methane-eating microbes.
Explore by hub
Living things
Organisms, cells and the experiments done on them.
- Biology entries
- Experiments · 28 topics
- Regeneration · 11 topics
- Organisms that revive · 4 topics
- Deep-sea vent life · 5 topics
- Parasites & host manipulation · 3 topics
- Bioluminescence · 2 topics
- Cells & molecules · 7 topics
Materials & matter
Natural and inert materials, and designs copied from nature.
- Elements (periodic table)
- All materials · 277 topics
- Metals · 12 topics
- Gases · 9 topics
- Biomimetic design · 10 topics
- Grip & adhesion · 7 topics
- Beaks, jaws & strikes · 1 topic
- Particles & quantum · 12 topics
Energy & forces
Power, light, sound and the forces of the planet.
- Energy & fuel · 19 topics
- Light & spectrum · 19 topics
- Sound & waves · 12 topics
- Earth's fields & cycles · 5 topics
Earth & space
Ecosystems, cleanup, other worlds and samples from space.
- Ecosystems & planet · 7 topics
- Cleanup & zero-waste · 11 topics
- Terraforming · 7 topics
- Space samples · 7 topics
Methods & tech
AI, mathematics, proposed uses and patents.
- AI & emerging tech · 13 topics
- Math in nature · 6 topics
- Potential uses · 37 topics
- Patents
- What's new
- Applications by field
All topics
- 3D bioprinting4 entries · biological
- AAV gene delivery4 entries · biological
- Acoustic cell patterning (standing waves)1 entry · waves
- Acoustic levitation and acoustic tweezers2 entries · waves
- Acoustic metamaterials and phononic crystals3 entries · waves
- Aerogels (including cellulose aerogels)3 entries · organic
- AI materials discovery and self-driving labs (GNoME, A-Lab, robot chemist)3 entries · ai-emerging
- AI protein structure prediction (AlphaFold, RoseTTAFold)3 entries · ai-emerging
- AI-discovered antibiotics (halicin, abaucin)2 entries · ai-emerging
- Algae6 entries · organic
- Alginate (seaweed)6 entries · organic
- Ancient bacterial spores (disputed revivals)3 entries · experiment
- Animal cloning (Dolly the sheep)5 entries · biological
- Animal migration3 entries · ecosystems
- Apollo lunar samples3 entries · extraterrestrial
- Artificial blood & blood substitutes4 entries · biological
- Artificial leaf (artificial photosynthesis)4 entries · mineral
- Artificial molecular machines2 entries · ai-emerging
- Asteroid Bennu samples2 entries · extraterrestrial
- Asteroid Ryugu samples2 entries · extraterrestrial
- Axolotl limb regeneration2 entries · experiment
- Bacterial cellulose9 entries · organic
- Bacterial chemotaxis4 entries · experiment
- Bacterial nanowires (Geobacter)4 entries · biological
- Bacterial quorum sensing1 entry · experiment
- Bacterial self-healing concrete1 entry · biomimetic
- Bamboo5 entries · organic
- Basalt9 entries · mineral
- Base editing and prime editing3 entries · ai-emerging
- Beaks, jaws and the fastest strikes9 entries · biomimetic
- Bio-inspired grippers3 entries · biological
- Biochar5 entries · organic
- Biodegradable metals (zinc and iron)2 entries · metal
- Biofuels (algae, cellulosic, engineered microbes)5 entries · energy
- Bioluminescence (luciferase)4 entries · biological
- Bioluminescence in the ocean and on land7 entries · bioluminescence
- Biophotovoltaics3 entries · energy
- Bioremediation of oil spills1 entry · cleanup
- Biosonar-inspired sonar and robots2 entries · waves
- Bird magnetic sense (cryptochrome)2 entries · experiment
- Bone grafts & bone substitutes3 entries · biological
- Bone trabeculae and topology optimization3 entries · biomimetic
- Boron nitride nanotubes3 entries · mineral
- Brain-computer interfaces12 entries · inert
- CarbFix: turning CO2 into stone1 entry · cleanup
- Carbon dioxide (capture and supercritical CO2)3 entries · gas
- Cartilage repair2 entries · biological
- Casein (milk protein)5 entries · organic
- Cell membranes and ion channels1 entry · cells
- Cellulose nanocrystals6 entries · organic
- Cephalopod camouflage & reflectin4 entries · biological
- Chameleon feet and ballistic tongue3 entries · biological
- Chang'e-5 lunar samples5 entries · extraterrestrial
- Chitin & chitosan9 entries · organic
- Circadian rhythms and the body clock2 entries · earth-cycles
- Classic mathematical models of life (Lotka–Volterra, SIR, Hodgkin–Huxley)3 entries · math
- Clay9 entries · mineral
- Climate change and the timing of nature3 entries · ecosystems
- Clingfish and remora suction discs2 entries · biological
- Closed ecosystems and life support (Biosphere 2, MELiSSA)2 entries · terraforming
- Coconut coir & shell4 entries · organic
- Cold gas plasma (plasma medicine)3 entries · gas
- Collagen & gelatin6 entries · organic
- Comet Wild 2 dust (Stardust)2 entries · extraterrestrial
- Composting and circular economy2 entries · cleanup
- Compressed air energy storage2 entries · energy
- Copper (antimicrobial surfaces)2 entries · metal
- Coral (coralline bone substitutes)3 entries · mineral
- Coral reefs and bleaching2 entries · ecosystems
- Cork4 entries · organic
- CRISPR and gene drives6 entries · biological
- CRISPR gene editing in human patients7 entries · biological
- Cryptobiosis: animals and plants that revive6 entries · experiment
- Cultivated (lab-grown) meat3 entries · biological
- De novo designed proteins4 entries · biological
- Decellularized organ scaffolds4 entries · biological
- Deer antler regeneration3 entries · experiment
- Deinococcus radiodurans3 entries · experiment
- Diatomite4 entries · mineral
- Discovering the electron and the atomic nucleus3 entries · particles
- DNA nanorobots and walkers2 entries · ai-emerging
- DNA nanotechnology and DNA data storage6 entries · biological
- Earth's changing magnetic field and space weather9 entries · earth-cycles
- Echolocation in bats, dolphins and toothed whales3 entries · waves
- Electric eel5 entries · experiment
- Electric rays, electric catfish and electrolocation4 entries · biological
- Electricity storage (supercapacitors, sodium-ion, solid-state, flow batteries)6 entries · energy
- Electron microscopy and cryo-EM2 entries · particles
- Electronic skin (e-skin)4 entries · inert
- Embryonic stem cells3 entries · biological
- Engineered living building materials2 entries · experiment
- Enhanced rock weathering1 entry · terraforming
- Enzymatic plastic recycling to monomers1 entry · cleanup
- Extreme survivors (tardigrades and rotifers)2 entries · experiment
- Fibonacci spirals and the golden angle (phyllotaxis)2 entries · math
- Flax4 entries · organic
- Flexible & bio-integrated electronics3 entries · inert
- Form-finding architecture (Frei Otto, Gaudí catenaries)2 entries · biomimetic
- Fractals in biology and allometric scaling laws3 entries · math
- Fungal electrical spiking1 entry · experiment
- Gamma rays (sterilization, radiotherapy, Gamma Knife, PET)5 entries · light
- Gecko adhesion3 entries · biological
- Genetically modified & gene-edited crops7 entries · biological
- Geopolymers & volcanic ash4 entries · mineral
- Glowing bacteria partners and counterillumination4 entries · bioluminescence
- Gold nanoparticles5 entries · metal
- Graphene & carbon from biomass5 entries · organic
- Graphene and carbon nanotubes4 entries · mineral
- Gravity, microgravity and the body5 entries · earth-cycles
- Green fluorescent protein (GFP)4 entries · biological
- Growing life in Mars and Moon conditions3 entries · terraforming
- Heavy-metal biosorption1 entry · cleanup
- Hemp5 entries · organic
- Hibernation and torpor3 entries · biological
- Honeycomb hexagons2 entries · math
- How many species are there?1 entry · ecosystems
- Human echolocation2 entries · waves
- Human microbiome and the gut-brain axis3 entries · cells
- Hydra (no aging)2 entries · experiment
- Hydrogels4 entries · organic
- Hydrogen gas4 entries · gas
- Hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide (signaling gases)6 entries · gas
- Hydropower, tidal and wave energy3 entries · energy
- Hydrothermal vent life and chemosynthesis3 entries · experiment
- Hydroxyapatite6 entries · mineral
- Hyperthermophiles: life above boiling3 entries · experiment
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)4 entries · biological
- Industrial enzymes3 entries · biological
- Infrared (heat sensing, photobiomodulation)3 entries · light
- Infrasound in animals1 entry · waves
- Insects that convert waste (black soldier flies, mealworms)2 entries · cleanup
- Jute3 entries · organic
- Keratin6 entries · organic
- L-systems and Voronoi patterns2 entries · math
- Lab-grown & artificial skin2 entries · biological
- Lasers (optical tweezers, laser cooling, ultrafast pulses, LASIK, 3D printing)7 entries · light
- Lenski long-term E. coli evolution experiment4 entries · experiment
- Lignin5 entries · organic
- Liposomes and lipid nanoparticles5 entries · biological
- Liquid metals (gallium alloys, EGaIn)2 entries · metal
- Lithium (batteries)5 entries · metal
- Liver and digit-tip regeneration in mammals2 entries · experiment
- Lizard tail regeneration1 entry · experiment
- Lotus effect (superhydrophobic surfaces)3 entries · organic
- Lunar regolith (moon soil construction)2 entries · mineral
- Magnesium (biodegradable implants)2 entries · metal
- Magnetite5 entries · mineral
- Magnetotactic bacteria3 entries · biological
- Mars terraforming feasibility studies3 entries · terraforming
- Martian meteorite ALH840011 entry · extraterrestrial
- Mass extinctions and recovery2 entries · ecosystems
- Medicines from animal venoms5 entries · biological
- Melanized fungi (Chernobyl "radiation-eating" fungi)4 entries · biological
- Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)4 entries · metal
- Methane (biogas)2 entries · gas
- Microbial fuel cells3 entries · energy
- Microwaves in chemistry1 entry · light
- Mitochondria, chloroplasts and endosymbiosis1 entry · cells
- Molecular motors and the cytoskeleton5 entries · cells
- Moon, tides and living rhythms5 entries · earth-cycles
- MOXIE: making oxygen on Mars1 entry · terraforming
- Muon tomography (pyramids)2 entries · particles
- Murchison and other carbon-rich meteorites3 entries · extraterrestrial
- Mussel adhesive proteins (DOPA)4 entries · biological
- Mutation breeding & directed evolution6 entries · biological
- Mycelium11 entries · organic
- Mycoremediation (fungi that break down pollutants)1 entry · cleanup
- Mycorrhizal networks between trees2 entries · ecosystems
- Nacre & calcium carbonate6 entries · mineral
- Naked mole-rat3 entries · experiment
- Nanoparticle drug delivery2 entries · ai-emerging
- Nanopore sequencing2 entries · ai-emerging
- Natural gas and methane hydrates3 entries · energy
- Natural mutation and evolution in the wild7 entries · biological
- Navigating by Earth's magnetic field5 entries · earth-cycles
- Neutron, positron (antimatter) and neutrinos4 entries · particles
- Newt lens regeneration1 entry · experiment
- Nitinol (shape-memory alloy)3 entries · metal
- Nitric oxide (signaling gas)3 entries · gas
- Nuclear fission and fusion3 entries · energy
- Ocean iron fertilization experiments2 entries · terraforming
- Octopus arm autonomy2 entries · experiment
- Octopus suckers and octopus-inspired adhesives4 entries · biological
- Oil (petroleum)2 entries · energy
- Oil-eating bacteria6 entries · biological
- Optogenetics (light-controlled proteins)6 entries · biological
- Organoid intelligence and DishBrain2 entries · ai-emerging
- Organoids4 entries · biological
- Osmotic (blue) energy2 entries · energy
- Oxygen (hyperbaric and oxygen-releasing materials)3 entries · gas
- Ozone2 entries · gas
- Parasites that change host behaviour7 entries · parasites
- Perovskites5 entries · mineral
- Phage therapy4 entries · biological
- Phages and endogenous retroviruses3 entries · parasites
- Photodynamic therapy2 entries · light
- Photoelectric effect and wave–particle duality4 entries · particles
- Phytoremediation and hyperaccumulator plants2 entries · cleanup
- Piezoelectric and triboelectric energy harvesting3 entries · energy
- Planarian memory and bioelectric patterning3 entries · experiment
- Plant electrical signalling2 entries · experiment
- Plant memory (Mimosa pudica)1 entry · experiment
- Plant nanobionics (sensor plants)2 entries · experiment
- Plastic-eating bacteria & enzymes5 entries · biological
- Platinum (cancer drugs and catalysis)4 entries · metal
- Pompeii worm2 entries · experiment
- Prions1 entry · cells
- Prochlorococcus and ocean plankton1 entry · ecosystems
- Protein language models (ESM)2 entries · ai-emerging
- Proton and particle beam therapy2 entries · particles
- Quantum biology (photosynthesis, enzyme tunneling)4 entries · particles
- Quantum entanglement and Bell tests2 entries · particles
- Quantum tunneling2 entries · particles
- Quarks and the Higgs boson3 entries · particles
- Quartz4 entries · mineral
- Radio waves and living things1 entry · light
- Rare earth elements3 entries · metal
- Regenerative agriculture2 entries · cleanup
- Restoring land on Earth (biocrusts, Loess Plateau)3 entries · terraforming
- Resurrection plants3 entries · biological
- Ribosome structure2 entries · cells
- Scaly-foot snail (iron-plated armor)2 entries · experiment
- Sea cucumber gut regrowth1 entry · experiment
- Sea cucumber stiffness-changing tissue4 entries · biological
- Sea star arm regeneration2 entries · experiment
- Self-healing materials3 entries · inert
- Shark electroreception (ampullae of Lorenzini)2 entries · biological
- Shark skin2 entries · biological
- Shellac4 entries · organic
- Silica5 entries · mineral
- Silica aerogel (Stardust comet catcher)3 entries · mineral
- Silk fibroin8 entries · organic
- Silver (antimicrobial)2 entries · metal
- Single-cell learning and decisions (ciliates)2 entries · experiment
- Slime mold problem solving (Physarum)3 entries · experiment
- Solar photovoltaics (silicon, organic)4 entries · energy
- Soy protein4 entries · organic
- Space radiation shielding3 entries · inert
- Spider silk proteins7 entries · organic
- Spider web robustness2 entries · biomimetic
- Spiny mouse skin regeneration1 entry · experiment
- Sponge spicules & spongin4 entries · organic
- Starch & PLA bioplastics6 entries · organic
- Steam and thermal power (geothermal, concentrated solar)3 entries · energy
- Structural color and photonic crystals in nature2 entries · light
- Swarm decision-making (bees and ants)3 entries · experiment
- Synchrotron light sources3 entries · particles
- Synthetic cells (JCVI-syn)3 entries · biological
- Synthetic gene circuits2 entries · experiment
- Tardigrade proteins3 entries · biological
- Terahertz waves2 entries · light
- Termite mound ventilation3 entries · biomimetic
- Thermoelectrics3 entries · energy
- Thermus aquaticus and Taq polymerase4 entries · experiment
- Titanium and titanium alloys2 entries · metal
- Transgenic animals (salmon, GloFish)3 entries · biological
- Tree frog toe pads and insect adhesive pads3 entries · biological
- Trees for contaminated and radioactive sites (poplar, forest irrigation)3 entries · cleanup
- Turing reaction-diffusion patterns4 entries · math
- Turritopsis "immortal" jellyfish2 entries · experiment
- Ultrasound (imaging, focused ultrasound, sonogenetics)4 entries · waves
- Ultraviolet (UV-C, far-UVC 222 nm, vitamin D)3 entries · light
- Venus flytrap mechanics2 entries · biological
- Vibration and resonance energy harvesting2 entries · waves
- Virus capsids and self-assembly2 entries · cells
- Virus-templated materials (M13 phage)4 entries · biological
- Visible light (photosynthesis, LEDs, phototherapy)3 entries · light
- Wastewater treatment with algae and constructed wetlands2 entries · cleanup
- Whale song4 entries · waves
- Wind power4 entries · energy
- Wolbachia and dengue control3 entries · parasites
- Wood6 entries · organic
- X-rays (crystallography, imaging)3 entries · light
- Xenobots (reconfigurable organisms)2 entries · experiment
- Xenon and helium (noble gases in medicine)3 entries · gas
- Zebrafish fin and heart regeneration2 entries · experiment
- Zeolites5 entries · mineral
Browse by application
- 3D printing7 entries
- acoustics1 entry
- agriculture12 entries
- astrobiology7 entries
- biology306 entries
- biomedical155 entries
- biomedical research29 entries
- biophysics1 entry
- bioplastics1 entry
- biotechnology11 entries
- carbon removal4 entries
- catalysis3 entries
- climate5 entries
- composites1 entry
- computing11 entries
- construction32 entries
- design & architecture1 entry
- earth science6 entries
- ecology2 entries
- electronics35 entries
- energy40 entries
- energy storage19 entries
- environment20 entries
- fire safety1 entry
- food1 entry
- food preservation1 entry
- food science27 entries
- gas separation1 entry
- genetics8 entries
- genomics5 entries
- geology2 entries
- geophysics5 entries
- insulation2 entries
- living materials1 entry
- marine1 entry
- materials science86 entries
- medical imaging9 entries
- nanotechnology27 entries
- neuroscience1 entry
- optics2 entries
- packaging15 entries
- physics36 entries
- planetary science9 entries
- psychology1 entry
- radiotherapy13 entries
- recycling2 entries
- robotics2 entries
- sensors2 entries
- space4 entries
- structural biology1 entry
- textiles4 entries
- toxicology7 entries
- waste valorization10 entries
- water treatment27 entries
- wood products1 entry