François Barthelat

FRANÇOIS BARTHELAT

“Natural evolution yields effective, hardy solutions, tested by millions of years of natural selection.”

François Barthelat is a Professor and Researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in Montréal. He and his team are studying very hard natural materials, like bones, scales, teeth and nacre, or mother-of-pearl, the iridescent layer lining the inside of seashells. He is trying to understand how their composition and structure makes them so effective in order to be able to develop new engineering materials inspired by Nature. For example, his team has created laminated glass that resembles mother-of-pearl and is twice as resistant as traditional laminated glass. This brand-new material could be used for vehicle windshields and windows.