How Sea Stars Build Materials That Can See

Europe Science Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:18:57 GMT Moderate confidence — 64/100

When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about strength, stiffness and durability.
But what if those same materials could also sense their external environment?
That question emerged unexpectedly for Ling Li, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, when his lab and colleagues were investigating how sea stars build lightweight yet resilient skeletons.

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When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about strength, stiffness and durability.
But what if those same materials could also sense their external environment?
That question emerged unexpectedly for Ling Li, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, when his lab and colleagues were investigating how sea stars build lightweight yet resilient skeletons.

Sources: Upenn