Nature-inspired mechanics expert becomes Fellow of the Royal Society

The teeth of limpet sea snails are the strongest known natural materials to date. Recent research co-led by a material mechanics expert from NTU Singapore has uncovered why the teeth are so strong that a diamond saw is needed to cut them.

This is one of many breakthroughs in NTU Distinguished University Professor Gao Huajian’s nearly four decades of research in nanomechanics – the study of the mechanical properties of near atomic-scale structures – for engineering and biological systems.

For his contributions in his field, Prof Gao was elected as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society and is the only new Fellow from a Singapore organisation this year.

The United Kingdom-based society is one of the oldest scientific academies in the world, with eminent scientists like Stephen Hawking and Isaac Newton among its members. Becoming a Fellow of the society is akin to winning a lifetime achievement award at the Oscars.