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Complex, user-prescribed, three-dimensional cavities can be produced within this molecular canvas, enabling the creation of shapes such as letters, a helicoid and a teddy bear.

“When a small crack forms, it has to travel a very tortuous path — around and around the helicoid — in order to escape the entire club but runs out of energy and stays in the club,” Kisailus said.

Kisailus and his colleagues created a carbon-fiber version of the peacock mantis shrimp’s helicoid, using epoxy as fill-in, and put it to the test against two other composites made from the same basic components.

“When a small crack forms, it has to travel a very tortuous path — around and around the helicoid — in order to escape the entire club, but runs out of energy and stays in the club,” said Kisailus.

A rough way to visualize this, is to see the endoplasmic reticulum as a parking garage, with the helicoid acting as the connection ramps between each floor.