Here’s
a
head-scratcher
for
you:
What
do
geckos
and
Post-it
notes
have
in
common?
Stumped?
Boxin
Zhao,
a
chemical
engineering
professor,
isn’t.
For
over
five
years
he
has
been
researching
the
amazing
adhesive
properties
of
lizards’
tiny
footpads
to
find
out
exactly
why
geckos’
feet
can
stick
to
any
surface
–
rough,
smooth,
dry
and
wet
–
and
detach
in
milliseconds.
Armed
with
an
understanding
of
the
footpads’
physical
and
chemical
nature,
he’s
now
moving
on
to
material
design,
aiming
to
engineer
a
new
reversible
and
responsive
adhesive.
“As
a
material
scientist,
I
want
to
turn
this
knowledge
of
the
phenomena
into
something
that
can
be
used,”
he
says.
Zhao
is
exploring
biomedical
applications
that
include
using
the
adhesive
as
an
alternative
to
stitches
and
in
reconstructive
material
to
reduce
scarring
when
treating
burn
and
cancer
patients.
Chemical Engineering Professor