Butterflies as Model for New Medical Devices

Clemson University (Georgia, USA) researchers are studying the mouthpart that butterflies use for feeding (proboscis), as a model to develop new fiber-based fluidic devices for biomedical applications.  Konstantin G. Kornev and colleagues observe the proboscis is able to draw various kinds of liquids, regardless of viscosity; they aim to develop tiny probes that siphon liquid out of single cells for a wide range of medical tests and treatments, such as probes for gene therapy. The study authors write that: “physical construction of the proboscis … can be modified and enhanced by behavioral strategies.”