Re-Imagining Aero and Fluid Dynamics through the Venus Flower Basket Glass Sponge

Glass sponges, commonly found in the deep ocean, belong to the Hexacitinellida class. They derive their name from their tissues, which comprise glass-like structural particles made of silica. 

The skeleton of glass sponges is an evolutionary mechanism that helps them combat deep-sea predators by inherently and organically combining themselves with various chemicals. 

Undoubtedly sophisticated, glass sponges sustain themselves by clinging to hard surfaces and consuming small bacteria and plankton filtered from the surrounding water. 

Some species can create significantly large spicules that form a glass house by fusing in beautiful patterns. These skeletal structures often amuse scientists as they stay alive even after the sponge has died, and several deep-sea animals use these structures as their homes!

The Most Well-Known Glass Sponge

Among all the deep-dwelling glass sponges, Venus Flower Basket, a species of Euplectella, is particularly well-known. It has evolved enough for its skeleton to entrap a certain species of crustacean inside for life. These crustaceans reproduce, and their offspring seek out new flower baskets of their own. Typically, these sponges often serve as lifelong homes to two small, shrimp-like Stenopodidea, a male and a female. 

This characteristic of functioning as natural housing for deep-sea creatures has always made the Venus Flower Basket glass sponge an animal to be curious about. This curiosity has now led researchers to discover another remarkable feature of these animals: their ability to filter feed without pumping. 

Natural ‘Zero Energy” Flow Control by Venus Flower Basket Sponge

One of the amazing feats that these ancient animals are born with is their ability to filter feed without pumping, relying solely on the feeble ambient current of the ocean depths. But how is this possible? That is what a team of researchers working at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and NYU Tandon School of Engineering have looked into. Using extremely high-resolution computer simulations, they analyzed the skeletal structure of the Venus Flower Basket Sponge. The findings were, to say the least, mind-blowing. Moreover, it held astounding potential for a host of engineering applications. 

While explaining the experiment’s breakthrough nature, Maurizio Porfiri, NYU Tandon Institute Professor and director of its Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP), who co-led the study and co-supervised the research, said:

“Our research settles a debate that has emerged in recent years: the Venus flower basket sponge may be able to draw in nutrients passively, without any active pumping mechanism. It’s an incredible adaptation allowing this filter feeder to thrive in currents normally unsuitable for suspension feeding.”

Essentially, these glass sponge animals use their unique skeletal structure to divert the ultra-slow currents of the deep sea, directing the flow upwards into their central body cavity. This mechanism filters out plankton and other marine detritus from the seawater, which the sponges use as food. The spiral, ridged outer surface of the sponge’s skeletal structure functions like a spiral staircase, drawing the water upwards through its porous, lattice-like frame without the need for pumping energy. 

The most remarkable quality of the glass sponge is its natural ventilation, which operates perfectly well in the near-stillness of the deep ocean floors. This is how these deep-sea species have evolved, adjusting to the harsh environment and passively drawing in food at an extremely slow current. 

According to Giacomo Falcucci of Tor Vergata University of Rome:

“The sponge has arrived at an elegant solution for maximizing nutrient supply while operating entirely through passive mechanisms.”

Reaching these amazing insights was not easy. It took several years for the researchers to build adequate facilities that could understand the phenomenon to its minutest details.

The Facilities that Helped the Research Reach its Goal 

The researchers utilized the Leonardo supercomputer at CINECA, a not-for-profit consortium hosting the largest Italian computing center and one of the most important worldwide. 

This powerful supercomputer helped the researchers develop a lifelike 3D replica of the sponge, with one hundred billion individual points recreating the sponge’s intricate helical ridge structure. Leonardo’s immense computing power made it possible to conduct quadrillions of calculations per second, simulating a vast range of water flow speeds and conditions.

According to the researchers involved, the study’s results may lead to many innovative engineering solutions. Below, we summarize a couple of such innovative ideas. 

Click here to learn how it is possible to manipulate light with the help of leafhoppers.

The Real-Life Application Potential of the Research

The precursor to this research we are discussing is a 2021 study conducted by the same team. In that research, the team looked specifically into how the Venus flower basket sponge could improve man-made structures. The team believed that its investigation of the role of sponge geometry in responding to fluid flow had many implications for the design of high-rise buildings and mechanical structures of a wide variety, including skyscrapers, low-drag novel structures for ships, and even airplane fuselages. 

According to Giacomo Falcucci of Tor Vergata University of Rome, the 2021 experiment on the glass sponge helped answer questions like:

“Will there be less aerodynamic drag on high-rise buildings built with a similar lattice of ridges and holes? Will it optimize the distribution of forces applied?” 

The current research, which goes deeper into the biometric engineering aspects of the glass sponge, could help design more efficient reactors with optimized flow patterns and minimized outside drag. 

Following the inner engineering principles of the ridged and porous surfaces of the glass sponge could increase air filtration and ventilation systems in skyscrapers and other structures. The asymmetric helical ridges, for instance, might inspire low-drag hulls or fuselages that will stay streamlined while promoting interior airflow. 

From 2021 to 2024, research into Venus Flower Basket Sponges continued, continually uncovering how this bioengineering marvel could inspire more real-life applications. 

Leveraging nature as design inspiration for their products has helped many companies enhance efficiency and introduce optimization. 

#1. Bionic Cars by Mercedes Benz

In March 2024, Mercedes Benz, while explaining the design philosophy behind one of its latest models, Vision EQXX, had the following to say:

“When it comes to lightweight construction, nature is still the best role model: from boxfishes to the Arctic tern – many animals have evolved optimal body shapes and other capabilities that enable them to travel their migratory routes with minimal expenditure of energy. Maximum efficiency was also the guiding principle behind the technology program that produced the VISION EQXX – which is why parts of the chassis structure are based on natural shapes and bionic design principles.” 

The company has named its bio-inspired material usage philosophy the Bionicast process. This approach advocates for using material only where the load paths are necessary. As a result, the bionic elements possess a constantly varying wall thickness and openings that resemble a skeleton. 

The company believes that the bio-inspired design philosophy has resulted in a product that is highly functional and compact, with significantly reduced weight. For instance, bionic designs on the rear floor of the car have alone saved 15-20% in weight and material. The wiper motor bracket also has a 20 percent weight advantage.

The Mercedes-Benz Bionic car, known for its excellent aerodynamics, debuted in June 2005 in Washington, DC. Since then, it has continued to evolve, maintaining its relevance and prominence within the automotive community. The innovative development process of BIONICAST won the 2022 Material Design + Technology Award in the ‘Best of Process’ category. By 2039, aided by the reduced resource consumption principles and light construction potential of Bionicast, Mercedes Benz aims to achieve the overarching objective of net carbon neutrality along its entire value chain in its fleet of new vehicles.

In 2023, Mercedes Benz reported revenue of 153.2 billion Euros, an increase of 3.2 billion Euros from the 150 billion Euros revenue in 2022. The company registered an EBIT of 19.7 billion Euros, and its EPS stood at 13.46 Euros. 

#2. Biohm

Biohm, a multi-award-winning research and development company, believes in the philosophy of ‘allowing nature to lead innovation.’ As its mission, the company has been ‘harmonizing cultural and natural systems through the responsible licensing of groundbreaking, scalable biotechnologies.’

One of the flagship technologies of Biohm leverages the power of Mycelium—the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms. The company utilizes this technology to produce high-impact and high-performance solutions in developing sophisticated components such as particulate composites, fiber-reinforced composites, monolithic materials, and polymer-like monolithic materials. These are well-suited for use in the areas of construction, consumer or retail products, specialized packaging, interiors, pieces of furniture, and fashion. 

Through its ‘Orb’ technology, Biohm converts some of the fastest-growing ‘waste streams’—food and agricultural ‘waste’—into valuable and functional high-performance products. These products can be formed into sheets and molded into intricate 3-D shapes and 3-D printed products.

Additionally, Biohm offers a prefabricated construction system that does not require permanent binders or fasteners, creating robust, high-quality structures. Inspired by the mathematical geometry of carbon’s molecular bonds, this system can reduce a building’s environmental impact, cost, and build time by 120%, 70%, and 95%, respectively.  

In one of its game-changing bioremediation efforts, Biohm, in collaboration with Waitrose & Partners and Power To Change, evolved four strains of Mycelium that could consume plastics, including Polyurethane (PU), Polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), and Polyester (PET). Leveraging this mycelium-centered technology, plastics can be broken down into sugars, benign hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide. The Mycelium consumes the sugars and hydrocarbons, while the carbon dioxide transforms into oxygen through photosynthesizing organisms.

According to industry estimates, the company has managed to raise funding of US$1.73 million to date. 

The Future of Bio-Inspired Aero and Fluid Dynamics

Reimagining aero and fluid dynamics by drawing inspiration from nature has motivated researchers worldwide. At the University of Bristol’s Bio-Inspired Flight Lab, led by Dr Shane Windsor, for instance, researchers investigated a range of sensing and control aspects of animal flight and how they might improve engineered technologies, especially the functioning of small-scale unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).

One of the largest brands in the world, Lockheed Martin, has drawn inspiration for its Skunk Works from the Hercules beetles of tropical Central and South America to organically darken or lighten to match the daily shifting hue of the surrounding rainforest. Researchers at Skunk Works believe that mimicking this property could improve composite aircraft parts manufacturing by developing attributable sensors capable of alerting technicians when a complex structure is at the right level of humidity to move on to the next step of the manufacturing process.

According to Thomas Koonce, the person in charge of the Skunk Works’ Revolutionary Technology Portfolio, “Color change sensors would be a fast, inexpensive, reliable way of determining whether or not the conditions are correct for manufacturing.” Koonce marks this as a ‘low-cost, low-manpower solution.’

At NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio, the whiskers of harbor seals have inspired researcher Vikram Shyam to design low-drag turbine blades for the Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, which seeks to develop groundbreaking energy efficiency for fixed-wing aircraft. 

Similarly, Isaiah Blankson, a senior technologist at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio, has been inspired by the acrobatic precision of swimming penguins to develop the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration program that attempts to diminish sonic booms with aerodynamic shaping.

Drawing inspiration from nature has helped humans immensely improve their aero and fluid dynamic solutions. The wisdom of nature and animal kingdoms, honed over hundreds of thousands of years of evolutionary practices and survival tactics, offers a wealth of wisdom for better engineering solutions that are efficient, low-cost, and sustainable.

Click here to learn how robotics are taking a cue from nature.