Tag: Cicada

Cicada wings are antimicrobial, water-repellant and inspiring to entomologists and engineers alike

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Trillions of periodical cicadas broke soil across the Eastern U.S. this summer. But long before that, researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studied cicadas for the hidden biological secrets of their wings. Marianne…

Cicada magic

sarah JonasFeature

Inspired by cicada wings, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology study the insects’ antimicrobial properties to develop new antibacterial surfaces.

By Mimicking Cicada Wings, Scientists Are Investigating New Ways to Keep Patients Safe

sarah JonasFeature

Cicada’s cries ring out in the hot air and their discarded exoskeletons decorate tree branches in the southeast and midwest United States at the height of summer. While their ability to emerge in huge numbers is astounding, they have other surprising features too. In fact, their wings kill bacteria on contact and are self-cleaning. Researchers using the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory user facilities investigated this bizarre phenomenon. They learned how structures in the cells are able to pull off such a feat and how it could be used in medical applications.

Trillions of cicadas are beginning to emerge across the U.S. and one Bowling Green State University expert is available to add insight, context to your reporting

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Trillions of cicadas are beginning to emerge in parts of the U.S., and Dr. Daniel Pavuk with Bowling Green State University knows all about the bugs and can add helpful information and context about them to your reporting. Labeled as…