How can we learn from nature to create materials without using life-threatening chemicals and high temperatures?

We humans could learn a lot from how other organisms and systems in nature conduct chemistry. That’s because unlike humans, the rest of nature conducts chemistry where it lives—close to and within its own cells. It employs water as a solvent, uses a subset of the periodic table, assembles molecules in elegant ways without high temperatures and pressures, and breaks down products into benign constituents. This featured strategy collection takes you on a journey of nature’s chemistry. Explore the chemistry of microbes, beautiful underwater sponges, your own cells and organs, and more.

How can we learn from nature to create materials without using life-threatening chemicals and high temperatures? Produce non-toxic preservatives and glues? Develop safe pharmaceuticals? Manage insect infestations in our homes and agricultural fields without harming the environment? This collection will get you thinking about how nature might offer life-friendly solutions in place of man-made chemical processes. A companion collection highlights green chemistry innovations.

This collection was made possible thanks to the Ayrshire Foundation.