A pinecone-shaped wildfire detector built out of wax and charcoal has won the UK James Dyson Award, recognising the best inventions by student and graduate designers. More about Pyri wildfire detection device melts in response to fire
Lifelike robots could be a step closer to reality with a new development from the University of Tokyo, where scientists have made a prototype with living skin capable of a "natural smile". More about Scientists use living skin to create robot that smiles
Garments made with the skin pigment melanin provide a natural, alternative form of sun protection in this speculative biofabrication project by recent Central Saint Martins graduate Maca Barrera. More about Melanin-spiked bodysuits provide sun protection in Melwear concept
Industrial designer Mary Lempres has created a bio-cement structure developed to mimic naturally occurring oyster reefs that tackle coastal flooding, filter seawater and promote biodiversity. More about Reef Rocket is a bio-cement reef grown from plant enzymes
The latest edition of our Dezeen Debate newsletter features a rewilding trainer that scatters plants and seeds. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now. More about Dezeen Debate features "amazing" rewilding trainer that disperses plants
Central Saint Martins graduate Kiki Grammatopoulos has created a chunky, bristly running shoe outsole that helps to spread plants and seeds in cities, as part of a project she's titled Rewild the Run. More about Rewilding trainer lets people disperse plants as they run
Design studio Tomorrow Machine has created a biodegradable juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material that can be peeled away like fruit skin and then eaten, composted or dissolved. More about GoneShells is an edible juice bottle peeled like fruit
Organic architecture is less a style or school and more a set of principles, Mexican architect Javier Senosiain and Noguchi Museum curator Dakin Hart tell Dezeen in this interview. More about "Every work is very different" in organic architecture says Javier Senosiain
London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson has created a prototype of a tree-like structure called Ecacia that harvests solar energy while providing a public place to shelter during very hot weather. More about Solar-harvesting Ecacia by Samuel Wilkinson mimics trees of African savannahs
Austrian designer Julia Koerner has created a 3D-printed clutch bag for her fashion brand JK3D, which is made from bioplastic and modelled on tendrils of kelp. More about Kelp Mini Clutch is a bioplastic bag based on 3D-scans of seaweed
Latvian photographer Anna Dave has released photographs of Javier Senosiain Aguilar's El Nido de Quetzalcóatl in Mexico, a work of organic architecture shaped like a snake. More about Anna Dave captures fantastical snake-like apartment complex in Mexico
Parsons School of Design graduate Zihao Fang has developed Aquastor, a biodegradable vessel designed to fight the spread of deserts that's made using only readily available local resources. More about Zihao Fang designs anti-desertification vessel based on termite mounds
Architecture studio Tonkin Liu has built a biomimicry-informed pivoting bridge to an island containing 19th-century concrete models of dinosaurs in Crystal Palace, south London. More about Tonkin Liu creates swing bridge to access Dinosaur Island in Crystal Palace Park
Cities could help stop climate change by imitating natural processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to architect Michael Pawlyn. More about Biomimicry could lead to cities that "deliver net benefits" in the fight against climate change
In the second video of our Design for Life collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, Exploration Architecture founder Michael Pawlyn explains how computational design tools allow architects to mimic the natural world. More about Biomimicry enables architects to make "positive impact" on the environment says Michael Pawlyn
The Bio-Integrated Design Lab at the Bartlett School of Architecture has created a modular system of tiles inlaid with algae that can filter toxic chemical dyes and heavy metals out of water. More about Bio-ID Lab designs DIY algae-infused tiles that can extract toxic dyes from water
Airbus has unveiled a bird-like concept for a hybrid-electric airliner that aims to show the potential of using biomimicry in aviation design. More about Airbus' Bird of Prey aircraft concept features feather-tipped wings
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's "cyborg botany" researchers have turned plants into sensors and displays, suggesting we use them as a gentle alternative to electronic screens. More about MIT researchers engineer "cyborg" plants for motion-tracking and sending notifications
The University of Stuttgart has continued its experiments into biomimicry and robotic construction with two pavilions at the Bundesgartenschau horticultural show in Germany. More about University of Stuttgart creates biomimetic pavilions based on sea urchins and beetle wings
Female-led sex toy startup Lora DiCarlo is accusing the Consumer Electronics Show of sexism, after organisers revoked an innovation award from its hands-free robotic massager, then banned the product for being "immoral". More about Lora DiCarlo's robotic sex toy Osé sparks gender bias claims at CES