The quality of life requirements of modern people has not only stayed at the level of pursuing practicality, but also pursues quality, and healthy life is often the ultimate goal. Many product designs that are more beneficial to health or technology are popular. They often have two highly regarded features, one is “natural†and the other is “smartâ€.
However, fish and bear's paw are often not compatible, "natural" is difficult to achieve "intelligence", "smart" is difficult to maintain "natural", it seems that technology and nature are somewhat irreconcilable. This is not the case, because the natural organism itself is an extremely sophisticated intelligence. For example, the human body responds according to the surrounding environment, and the single-celled organism responds to the environment. Can we Proper use of this natural biological "intelligence"?
Sportswear with "breathing" flaps (Source: MIT)
Of course, scientists from MIT use live Bacillus natto cells to add to the fabric of the garment, based on the response of Bacillus natto to moisture and temperature, which can be "smart" based on the wearer's sweat and heat. The flaps on the back are "opened" and "closed". The study was published in the recent issue of Science Advances.
Flaps opened after sweating of the skin (Source: MIT)
A thousand years ago, a Japanese warrior discovered a mysterious bacterium that became a fermentation tool for natto; a thousand years later, the new behavior of bacteria was once again noticed: the original bacillus Expansion and contraction are related to moisture in the atmosphere. This phenomenon is fascinating. Through the efforts of MIT bioengineering experts, this bacterium has a new "professional", added to the fabric of the garment, and becomes a "biological skin" that can transform itself.
Microscopic view of the natto layer in the flap (Source: MIT)
Inside this “second skinâ€, live bacillus bacillus cells perform the dual functions of sensors and actuators, which do not require any external force to sense the surrounding humidity and heat, thus affecting the arrangement of the bacterial layer. And contraction, when the wearer wears sweat, the contraction change of the bacillus can drive the flaps open, so that the sweat can be well evaporated, and when the body cools, it will drive the flaps to close. Five minutes after the tester put on the clothing movement, the flaps began to open outwards, just like the real skin has a "smart" pore opening.
"Second skin" clothing, flap open state (Source: MIT)
FOSHAN PHARMA CO., LTD. , https://www.foshanmedicine.com