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Health & Science4h 5m ago
A team of researchers led by physicist Jeongeun Ryu has identified that Venus flytraps rapidly soften the cell walls in the trap's outer skin to activate its jaws, representing the fastest modulation of wall mechanics reported in plants.
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France
Who
Jeongeun Ryu, French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), Jacques Dumais
What
A team of researchers led by physicist Jeongeun Ryu has identified that Venus flytraps rapidly soften the cell walls in the trap's outer skin to activate its jaws, representing the fastest modulation of wall mechanics reported in plants.
When
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:01:31 GMT · 4h 5m ago
Where
France ·
Why
The plant softens its outer cell walls, allowing the outer surface to expand more easily than the inner surface, bending the leaf until it reaches a tipping point and snaps shut to catch prey.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery reveals a new mode of plant motility based on dynamic tuning of material properties, suggesting principles for muscle-free, bioinspired actuation that could influence future robotic and engineering designs.
Story chain
3 events in this thread- Health & Science4h 5m agoResearchers have identified that the Venus flytrap rapidly softens cell walls in the trap's outer skin, allowing it to expand more easily than the inner surface and bend the leaf until it snaps shut.Open article
- Health & Science4h 5m agoScientists have identified that Venus flytraps rapidly soften cell walls in the trap's outer skin to snap shut, allowing the outer surface to expand more easily than the inner.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 5m agoA team of researchers led by physicist Jeongeun Ryu has identified that Venus flytraps rapidly soften the cell walls in the trap's outer skin to activate its jaws, representing the fastest modulation of wall mechanics reported in plants.