Bioengineering 131 - Pollen at Stanford!
May 17, 2026 • 12:52 AM UTC
United States
140x Magnification
Plants
Edwin
Learn about the author...
1posts
0comments
0locations
View in Media Gallery
The useful biological object I found from nature is a piece of pollen common around Stanford during the Spring. I found the sample right on my dorm window ledge actually, which makes sense given me allergies today. I collected the sample using my hands and used the swab to place a small piece of it on the sticker. I was curious to see how pollen, which is specifically designed for attachment and transportation (in order for the plant species to reproduce) would physically look. Based on my observations, the pollen appeared to have lots of hairs and branching structures, giving it a somewhat spikey texture. These structures are most likely meant to be able to attach to surfaces and animals, as well as flow with the wind easily. I wonder if this is where we as bioengineers can use nature as inspiration for bioengineering optimized structures for targeted delivery or attachment mechanisms in the microscopic biology world.
Sign in to commentNobody has commented yet... Share your thoughts with the author and start the discussion!
More Posts from Edwin
No more posts from this author.