Materially Engineered Artificial Pollinators

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13632
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nanomaterials chemistry
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Miyako Eijiro 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, ナノ材料研究部門, 主任研究員 (70443231)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 花粉交配 / バイオミメティクス / ドローン / ミツバチ / ゲル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The decline in honeybee populations is a global issue with significant repercussions with respect to the pollination of plants. The simultaneous expression of multifunctionality from synthesized ionic liquid gels (ILGs) for biotechnology is presented in this study. We also demonstrate that, when mixed with photochromic organic compounds, ILGs display rapid color changes, similar to light-triggered camouflage, on living flies. By further exploiting the physicochemical properties of ILGs, we were able to achieve effective pollen adsorption by ILG-functionalized ants from Tulipa flowers with high biocompatibility. In addition, a radiowave-controllable bio-inspired flying robot equipped with ILG-coated vertically aligned animal hairs could be used to successfully pollinate Lilium flowers.

Free Research Field

生物工学