[Lee Stewart]

The sound of cicadas is hard to miss in the summer. And while they may seem like relatively pointless bugs, they hold the keys to antimicrobial benefits. Researchers have discovered that the veined wings of the Clanger cicada destroy bacteria on contact—the first known example of a natural biomaterial to do it. The wing structure itself does the destroying by tearing apart the bacteria. The wings have nanoscale-sized pillars that trap and slowly kill bacteria by pulling their cells apart. Researchers hope to mimic these on surfaces in public places.