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September 30, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Echinoderm stereom gradient structures enable mechanoelectrical perception
Cellular solids (also known as structural foams1) are ubiquitous in natural and engineered systems, such as wood6, trabecular bone7, energy storage8 and catalysts9, owing to their excellent mass transport, mechanical properties and energy absorption. Recent efforts have been dedicated to developing cellular microarchitected materials inspired by natural systems (for example, echinoderm stereom) with extraordinary mechanical strength and damage tolerance3,10,11,12. These studies have shown the strengthening–toughening mechanism through branch damage bands and dual-scale hierarchical microlattices in cellular solids, inspiring the design of engineered architectures for both laboratory and industrial applications. It is notable that these natural cellular solids may not have primarily evolved for improved mechanical properties, but rather may be a by-product of the complex biomineralization process10. Uncovering previously unknown mechanisms beyond their traditionally recognized function of mechanical defence is essential for comprehensively understanding and using these naturally formed cellular solids. Here we show a previously unexplored mechanoelectrical perception behaviour of the biomineralized spine of a long-spined sea urchin, Diadema setosum, which has a typical spike-like shape with a length of approximately 5–8 cm (Fig. 1a). In situ observations of a living D. setosum demonstrate that its spines have independent and highly responsive tactile perception abilities. On dropping a seawater...
www.nature.com
February 26, 2026 at 5:40 PM