Italian researchers develop bio-based Velcro

In Italy, researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) has created the first ever prototype of a soft, biodegradable and soluble velcro inspired by the micro-hook structure of leaves on the “catchweed” plant (Galium aparine), for use in devices for the monitoring and safeguarding of the environment and in precision farming. The research, published in the international journal Communications Materials, shows how the artificial micro-hooks can be applied to a series of devices that, when attached to plant leaves, act as a kind of temporary plaster, releasing beneficial substances into the plant’s vascular system, or as intelligent clips that wirelessly communicate information on the health status of crop plants.