Proteomimicry

Biophysical techniques of the 20th century, especially x-ray crystallography but also nuclear magnetic resonance and to some extent electron microscopy, are exposing a diverse molecular world for the engineer to study. Just as examination of sharkskin suggested how simple changes to the arrangement and orientations of riblets can affect fluid dynamics, examination of protein structures described here suggests how changes in the pattern and sizes of tenons and mortises or changes in the positions of elements of a lever can alter the strength and flexibility of joints.