MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 13
Ling Li unique components--a mineralized outer shell paired with an inner membrane composed of collagen and proteins — and how they contribute to conflicting mechanical and other properties . The relationship between these properties and the ways they work together at different stages of the egg ’ s life cycle will help the group get a better picture of the underlying design .
From the engineering perspective , the research team aims to distill new design concepts for developing multifunctional composites with controlled fracture properties , while from the evolutionary perspective , this study aims to uncover the general design rules of eggshells , a remarkably successful evolutionary invention of avian birds .
“ Nature is very good at making strong structures from weak materials ,” said Li . “ Teeth , bone , and seashells , for example , are extremely strong and durable , despite the fact that they are made of weak minerals and soft organic materials . Unique biological needs require the eggshells to strike a delicate balance for the mechanical properties instead of being as strong as possible . I am excited to work with my collaborators to investigate how Mother Nature achieves this and how we can utilize the design strategies learned from bird eggshells for engineering and defense applications .”