FRANCE: Gold-plated onion cells have been used to create artificial muscles that can expand and contract to bend in different directions.
The onion epidermis – the thin skin just beneath the surface of the root vegetable – is a thin and translucent layer of cells arranged in a tightly-packed lattice.
Scientists at the National Taiwan University thought the cells may be a viable candidate of creating a more versatile artificial muscle that would be more flexible than current lab-made muscles, which can either bend or contract, but not at the same time.
Lead researcher Wen-Pin Shih said: “The initial goal was to develop an engineered microstructure in artificial muscles for increasing the actuation deformation [the amount the muscle can bend or stretch when triggered]. One day, we found that the onion’s cell structure and its dimensions were similar to what we had been making.”
In the study, published in the journal Applied Physical Letters, researchers treated the cells with acid to remove the protein that makes the cell walls rigid. Then coated both sides with gold.
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