When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world in early 2020, hygiene became a societal obsession. From constant hand-sanitising to surface disinfection rituals, the invisible battle against pathogens entered every home, workplace, and public setting. Yet beneath this visible wave of cleaning and caution, a quieter revolution was unfolding

Bioinspired materials are engineered surfaces and structures that mimic the natural functions found in plants, animals, and insects — often to achieve effects like self-cleaning, bacteria resistance, or reduced contamination.