Inspired by the way plants grow toward light sources, a
phenomenon known as phototropism, bioengineers from the University of
California, Berkeley have created a hydrogel that could be manipulated by
light.
The new hydrogel, described earlier this month in the
journal Nano Letters, could have future applications in the emerging field of
soft robotics, which takes a cue from squishy creatures in nature, like
starfish, squids and octopuses, to create flexible components.