A fascination with fish gills has led researchers at Cornell to develop a bio-inspired approach to mixing heat and molecules in fluids—findings that could inform future biomedical devices, heat exchangers and soft robotics.

Moving heat and mass efficiently through flowing liquids is central to technologies ranging from dialysis machines to industrial cooling systems, yet many of those technologies rely on rigid components to get the job done.

Looking for an alternative, Yicong Fu, a mechanical engineering doctoral student, turned to fish gills—soft, porous tissue that constantly stirs water to keep gases and ions flowing. Working with Sunghwan “Sunny” Jung, professor of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fu designed a gill-like thermal dispenser that is providing new insights into fluid-structure interactions.