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I. Gebeshuber, M. Drack, M. Scherge:
"Tribology in biology";
Tribology - Materials, Surfaces & Interfaces, 2(4) (2009), 200 - 212.

Man has conducted research in the field of tribology for several thousands of years. Nature has
been producing lubricants and adhesives for millions of years. Biotribologists gather information
about biological surfaces in relative motion, their friction, adhesion, lubrication and wear, and
apply this knowledge to technological innovation as well as to the development of environmentally
sound products. Ongoing miniaturisation of technological devices such as hard disk drives and
biosensors increases the necessity for the fundamental understanding of tribological phenomena
at the micro- and nanometre scale. Biological systems excel also at this scale and might serve as
templates for developing the next generation of tools based on nano- and microscale
technologies. Examples of systems with optimised biotribological properties are: articular
cartilage, a bioactive surface which has a friction coefficient of only 0?001; adaptive adhesion of
white blood cells rolling along the layer of cells that lines blood vessels in response to
inflammatory signals; and diatoms, micrometre sized glass making organisms that have rigid
parts in relative motion. These and other systems have great potential to serve as model systems
also for innovations in micro- and nanotechnology.\

http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/175158308X383206