Smart skin of springtails

Ralf Helbig (IPF/MBC), Christoph Neinuis, Carsten Werner

Water-repellent and self-cleaning plant surfaces have recently gained much interest. These features result from hierarchically aligned structural elements and reflect adaptation to humid environments and to selective pressure from pathogens. However, springtails (Collembola, Entognatha), which live in soil, in decaying material and on plants, have adapted to even more demanding conditions by evolving extremely effective and robust anti-adhesive skin patterns. We investigate structural features of the skin to develop new design strategies for antibacterial and self-cleaning surfaces.