External Programs: Biomimicry at the University Level

Biomimicry is rapidly spreading and growing in academic institutions all over the earth! Professors, instructors, researchers, and students -- inspired by nature -- are creating innovative ways to teach, learn, and use biomimicry at universities and colleges in the U.S. and abroad. Explore the growing list of academic institutions that are integrating biomimicry into their teaching and research programs.

Institutions in the United States
Institutions outside the United States

Institutions in the United States

Janet Kubler teaches an on-line course called "Biology Taught Functionally". Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Georgia Institute of Technology, Center for Biologically Inspired Design (CBID)
CBID staff drawn from two institutes (Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory), five colleges (College of Engineering, College of Science, College of Architecture, Ivan Allen College, and College of Computing) and 14 schools. CBID is developing undergraduate and graduate programs in biologically inspired design at Georgia Tech. Contacts: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Professor, School of Biology, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Associate Professor, School of Biology, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Professor, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Associate Professor, School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, The Aizenberg Biomineralization and Biomimetics Lab
The Aizenberg lab's research is aimed at understanding some of the basic principles of biomineralization and the economy with which biology solves complex problems in the design of functional inorganic materials.

Milwaukee Institute of Arts & Design
Contact: John Caruso

Onondaga Community College
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it teaches an ecological building course based on biomimicry. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Southern California Institute of Architecture - Design Studio
Ilaria Mazzoleni (faculty) is teaching a course called Biomimicry: Innovation in Architecture Inspired by Nature (AS3304)[1]. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stanford University, Bio-X
The Stanford University Bio-X program supports, organizes, and facilitates interdisciplinary research connected to biology and medicine. The program operates across the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Earth Sciences and the School of Law. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director of Bio-X Programs & Operations.

State University of NY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it teaches an ecological building course based on biomimicry. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

University of California at Berkeley, Bioengineering
Biomimetic Engineering: Engineering from Biology. This graduate course, taught in the Mechanical Engineering Department, is cross-listed with Berkeley's Integrative Biology Department and the Bioengineering Department. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of Berkeley Composites Laboratory.

University of California at Berkeley, Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research
The Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research will lead the development of a new field of Integrative Systems Biomechanics and train the next generation of integrative biologists. To extract principles in biology that inspire novel design in engineering and train the next generation of scientists and engineers to collaborate in mutually beneficial relationships. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director.

University of Maryland, Mechanical Engineering Department
Developing Mechanical Engineering undergraduate curriculum to cover the design and manufacturing technologies and analysis principles that are needed to develop bioinspired products and devices. Contacts: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

University of Minnesota, College of Design
Contacts: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Assistant Professor of Architecture, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director, Center for Sustainable Building Research.

University of New Mexico, School of Architecture
Teaching biomimicry as part of a course called Sustainable Design. The students conduct a biomimic design project using the local ecosystem to inform their design solutions. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

University of Illinois, Chicago, School of Architecture, College of Architecture and the Arts
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Assistant Professor

Institutions outside the United States

Central European University, Environmental Sciences & Policy Dept. (Hungary)
Illustrating examples of value of nature to human societies as a component of "Conservation & Biodiversity" course. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Curtin University of Technology (Australia)
The Ecomimicry Project has two study areas: The Great Southern coastal region of Western Australia and the Carpathian Mountain region of Eastern Europe. The aim is to draw inspiration from the unique ecology of these regions and then design technologies, landscapes and artworks based upon local wildlife and local ecological settings.Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dalhousie University, School for Resource and Environmental Studies and Eco-Efficiency Centre (Canada)
Conducting research on industrial parks as ecosystems, scavengers and decomposers in industrial systems, ecological functions in industrial systems such as engineered wetlands and promotion of eco-design. Developing capacity in LCA of food systems. Teaching a graduate course in Industrial Ecology which includes a session on biomimicry. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Eötvös Roland University, Chair of Biological Physics (Hungary)
Offers a one semester lecture on "Bio-inspired Materials". Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Imperial College London: Institute of Biomedical Engineering (UK)
The human body is a significant application area for technology and, under the research theme of bionics, we are applying the techniques and understanding of engineering to applications which will improve human health. We are developing low power electronics, in collaboration with researchers in nanotechnology systems, biological and materials science, to enable us to better understand and manipulate the interactions between biology and man made materials. Contact: Chris Toumazou, Research Director, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , PA to Research Director.

KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Swedish Center of Biomimetic Fiber Engineering (BiomimeT) (Sweden)
The overall goal of BiomimeTM (Swedish Center for Biomimetic Fiber Engineering) is to gain an understanding of the biosynthesis, self-assembly, structure and properties of cell wall polysaccharides from wood fibers, and to optimize this information for advanced materials design. The innovative biomimetic materials are based on renewable, natural raw polymers and contribute to the transition to a sustainable society. From fall 2009, a Graduate School for Biomimetic Fiber Engineering will be offered.  Biomime is a research Center, a collaboration among sevearl departments and universities in Sweden.  We have received a grant to start a Graduate School for Biomimetic Fiber Engineering in fall 2009, that will be closely linked to Biomime. PhD students from all around the world are welcome to enroll to this school. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , program coordinator of Biomime.

National University of Singapore, Department of Architecture (Singapore)
Industrial Design, School of Design and Environment. As part of his PhD, Carlos Montana proposes a course founded on ..."an integrated and holistic approach to bio-inspired sustainable industrial design teaching". Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Visiting Fellow.

Ontario College of Arts & Design (Canada)
OCAD is offering two undergraduate studio courses in biomimetics. The first course provides a practical overview of the principles and current key issues related to biomimetics. The second course provides students with the opportunity to apply biomimetic principles to the design of innovative products, structures or systems. Contacts: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Presov University at Presov (Slovakia)
The Ecomimicry Project has two study areas: The Great Southern coastal region of Western Australia and the Carpathian Mountain region of Eastern Europe. The aim is to draw inspiration from the unique ecology of these regions and then design technologies, landscapes and artworks based upon local wildlife and local ecological settings. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Queens University, Civil Engineering, Kingston (Canada)
Master's thesis for an engineering option called Humanitarian Engineering. First year course in the Faculty of Applied Science. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , MSc Eng Candidate.

Shandong University (China)
Establishing "Biomimicry/Bioinspired Technology/Bionics" as a key areas for research. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Directora, Cátedra Andrés Marcelo Sada en Conservación Desarrollo Sostenible, Profesora Investigadora, Centro de Calidad Ambienta.

Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Aguascalientes (Mexico)
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Dirección de carrera de Diseño Industrial Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Aguascalientes. 

Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico)
The Department of Architecture, through its Undergraduate Architecture and Urbanism Program, coordinated by Carolyn Aguilar-Dubose ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), includes in its syllabus a one-semester elective course in Biomimicry that includes three to four day workshops at 10 different Mexican ecosystems. The name of the course is Arquitectura Sostenible, and it is led by Raul de Villafranca, Architect, and Juan Rovalo, Biologist. Biomimicry is also a part of the mandatory courses "The Natural and the Built Environment" and "Site Analysis in the Environmental Design Cycle" of the undergraduate program. In addition to this, Biomimicry is taught as a conference topic in the Diploma course on "Sustainable Design and Construction" for professionals. Contact: Raul de Villafranca ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ). 

University of Applied Sciences, Bremen (Germany)
Dept. for Biomimetics. International bachelor's degree in Biomimetics / Bionik (ISB)
flyer download. In the winter semester of 2003/04 the University of Applied Sciences initiated the International bachelor's degree in Biomimetics / Bionik, which together with the Department for Biomimetics / Bionik is integrated in the Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering and Applied Sciences. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

University of Bath: The Centre for Biomimetic and Natural Technologies (UK)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, PhD projects in Jumping robots, Adaptive fabrics, Automatic Assembly, Mimicking social insect building,"TRIZas the engineer's gateway to biomimetics",ARTIC, and "Locomotion of Nereid Worms".Course offerings include: 1-semester course in biomimetics to 4th year MEng; 1-yearMSc course in "Biomimetic and Technical Creativity" which includes a6-month project in engineering biomimetics (materials, robotics,design, etc). Contacts: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director; Adrian Bowyer, William Megill, RepRap.

University of Calgary, Schulich School of Engineering (Canada)
Teaching biomimicry as a component in the 1st year Engineering Design and Communication class. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

University of Jilin (China)
Has the Key Laboratory for Terrain-Machine Bionics Engineering and active programs in both teaching and research.

University of Medicine and Pharmaci "Gr.T.Popa" of Iasi, Biomaterials Science (Romania)
Biomaterials Science: the course of Biomimetic biomaterials and technologies. Biomimetic Engineering. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Professor of Biomaterials, Phd.

University of Reading, Centre for Biomimetics (UK)

University of Toronto, Biomimetics for Innovation and Design Laboratory (Canada)
The BIDlab is affiliated with the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. Biomimetic Design, BIDLab Rationale. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Associate Professor.

Victoria University of Wellington, Faculty of Architecture and Design (New Zealand)
Sustainable Architecture ARCH222: Topics covered include: resource conservation, working with climate and natural systems, alternative energy and construction, healthy, healing and regenerative architecture, permaculture, biomimicry, bioclimatic architecture, and green design. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Assistant Lecturer.

University of Wollongong (Australia)
Faculty of Education: helping teachers and students learn how to apply the conditions of natural learning to their own classroom K-University. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Vienna University of Technology, Department for Design and Building Construction (Austria)
Offers a lecture series in Biomimetics, and design programs. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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