These are a collection of resources (YouTube videos, journal and news articles, books, and online tools) for bio-inspired design that I’ve come across over the years. Some are just great inspiration for successful bio-inspired design, others are tools that can help you better implement your own bio-inspiration! A lot of these resources are also covered in my Bio-Inspired Engineering Design class (Texas A&M MEEN 440/696).

• Shields Jena, Ramirez-Esquivel Fiorella, Sun Yukun, Shih Aspen, Ravi Sridhar and Roh Chris (2025) “Letting go with the flow: directional abscission of dandelion seeds.” J. R. Soc. Interface. 22: 20250227. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2025.0227
• Hadear Hassan and Astrid Layton, (2025) “Improving Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge Transfer for Bio-Inspired Engineering Design.” Integrative and Comparative Biology, icaf119. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaf119
• Andrew K Schulz, Cassie Shriver, Catie Aubuchon, Emily G Weigel, Michelle Kolar, Joseph R Mendelson III, David L Hu, (2025) “A Guide for Successful Research Collaborations between Zoos and Universities.” Integrative and Comparative Biology, 62(5) 1174–1185, DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac096
• Cassandra M Donatelli, Megan Vandenberg, Lorenzo Martinez, Andrew K Schulz, E W Misty Paig-Tran, Karly E Cohen. (2025) “The Bioinspiration Feedback Loop: an interdisciplinary exchange of processes and progress between biologists and engineers.” Integrative and Comparative Biology, icaf128. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaf128
• Rehmat, A. P., & Helms, M., & Alemdar, M., & Weissburg, M. (2025), Interdisciplinary Overload: Can Incorporating Biology In an Introductory Engineering Course Turn Some Students Away from Engineering Pathways? Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . DOI: 10.18260/1-2–56867
• Stupski, Ferrer, Harrison, Jackson, Mansilla, Lívano, Narla, Chai, Clark, Ha, Nina, Wold, Reyes-Quinteros, Gallice, Bhamla. (2025) “A field biology guide for the curious physicist.” Newton 100199. DOI: 10.1016/j.newton.2025.100199
• Schultz, Chellapurath, Khandelwal, Rezaei, Merker, Jusufi. (2025) “Scaly-tail organ enhances static stability during Pel’s scaly-tailed flying squirrels’ arboreal locomotion.” Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 22:2024093. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0937
• Jastrzembski et al. (2023) “Assessing the state of biologically inspired design from three perspectives: academic, public, and practitioners” Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/accb31
• Mohammad Kaiser Ahamed, Hongxu Wang, Paul J. Hazell, (2022) “From biology to biomimicry: Using nature to build better structures – A review.” Construction and Building Materials, 320: 126195. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.126195
• Dave, T. and A. Layton (2020). “Designing Ecologically-Inspired Robustness into a Water Distribution Network.” Journal of Cleaner Production 254(1): 120057.
• James R. Usherwood, Jorn A. Cheney, Jialei Song, Shane P. Windsor, Jonathan P. J. Stevenson, Uwe Dierksheide, Alex Nila, Richard J. Bomphrey. “High aerodynamic lift from the tail reduces drag in gliding raptors.”Journal of Experimental Biology (2020) 223: jeb214809.
• Brehm, C. and A. Layton (2019). “Designing eco-industrial parks in a nested structure to mimic mutualistic ecological networks.” Procedia CIRP 80: 590-595.
• Ryen, E. G. et al. (2018) “Ecological foraging models as inspiration for optimized recycling systems in the circular economy” Resources, Conservation & Recycling.
• Farzaneh, H. H. and U. Lindemann (2018) “A Practical Guide to Bio-Inspired Design” Springer Vieweg.
• Malone, S. M., A. R. Cohen, B. Bras and M. Weissburg (2018). “The Application of Detrital Actors in Industrial Systems.” Procedia CIRP 69: 867-871.
• Imani, M, M. Donn, and B. Vale (2017) “Biomimicry as Innovation: a systematic review” 51^st International Conference of the Architectural Science Association.
• Reap, J. and A. Layton (2017). “Lessons from Living Systems for the Development of Sustainable Industrial Resource Networks.” Journal of Energy Challenges and Mechanics 4(1): 1-10.
• Fath, B. D. (2017). “Systems Ecology, Energy Networks, and A Path To Sustainability.” International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics 12(1): 1-15. DOI: 10.2495/DNE-V12-N1-1-15
• Layton, A., B. Bras and M. Weissburg (2016). “Designing Industrial Networks Using Ecological Food Web Metrics.” Environmental Science & Technology 50(20): 11243-11252.
• Goel, A. K., D. A. McAdams, and R. B. Stone (2014). “Biologically Inspired Design: Computational Methods and Tools” Springer.
• Chapter 4: “A Thesaurus for bioinspired engineering Design” Jacquelyn K.S. Nagel In book: “Biologically Inspired Design: Computational Methods and Tools” (2014) Publisher: Springer, Eds. Ashok K. Goel, Daniel A. McAdams, Robert B. Stone. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-5248-4_4
• Mattson, C. A., and A. E. Wood (2014). “Nine Principles for Design for the Developing World as Derived From the Engineering Literature” Journal of Mechanical Design 136: 121403.
• Fath, B. D. (2014). “Quantifying economic and ecological sustainability.” Ocean & Coastal Management 108: 13-19.
• Helms, M. and A. K. Goel (2014). “The Four-Box Method: Problem Formulation and Analogy Evaluation in Biologically Inspired Design” Journal of Mechanical Design 136: 111106.
• Lurie-Luke, E. (2014). “Product and technology innovation: what can biomimicry inspire?” Biotechnology Advances 32(8): 1494-1505.
• Jenkins, C. (2012) “Bio-Inspired Engineering by Chris Jenkins” Momentum Press.
• Volstad, N. L. and C. Boks (2012). “On the use of biomimicry as a useful tool for the industrial designer.” Sustainable Development 20: 189-199.
• “The Engineering to Biology Thesaurus” by Jacquelyn Nagel (2012) Zygote Quarterly ISSN 1927-8314
• Cheong, H., I. Chiu, L. H. Shu, R. B. Stone, and D. A. McAdams (2011). “Biologically Meaningful Keywords for Functional Terms of the Functional Basis” Journal of Mechanical Design133: 021007.
• Sartori J, Pal U, Chakrabarti A. (2010) “A methodology for supporting “transfer” in biomimetic design.” Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing. 24(4): 483-506. DOI: 10.1017/S0890060410000351
• Chakrabarti A, Shu LH. (2010) “Biologically inspired design.” Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing. 24(4): 453-454. DOI: 10.1017/S0890060410000326
• Yen, J., M. Helms, S. Vattam and A. K. Goel (2010). “Evaluating Biological Systems for their potential in engineering design.” Advances in Natural Science 3(2): 27-40.
• Knight, D. J. (2009). “Inspired by Nature.” New York State Conservationist 63(6): 30.
• Stroble, J. K., R. B. Stone, D. A. McAdams, and S. E. Watkins (2009). “An Engineering-to-Biology Thesaurus To Promote Better Collaboration, Creativity and Discovery” Proceedings of the 19^th CIRP Design Conference.
• Nagel, R., P. A. Midha, A. Tinsley, R. B. Stone, D. A. McAdams, and L. H. Shu (2008). “Exploring the Use of Functional Models in Biomimetic Conceptual Design” Journal of Mechanical Design 130: 121102.
• Vincent, J. F. V., O. A. Bogatyreva, N. R. Bogatyrev, A. Bowyer and A.-K. Pahl (2006). “Biomimetics: its practice and theory.” Journal of the Royal Society, Interface 3(9): 471-482.
• “Biomimicry – A Review” (2004) Mark Ayre, European Space Agency, 2(3).
• Benyus, J. M. (1997). “Biomimicry – innovation inspired by nature.” New York, William Morrow and Company.
• CHAPTER ONE: Biomimicry, from “Innovation Inspired by Nature” By JANINE M. BENYUS, (1997) William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN: 0-688-13691-5