Atomic-scale imaging reveals ants use zinc to sharpen their teeth
— Read on phys.org/news/2021-09-atomic-scale-imaging-reveals-ants-zinc.html

#Nature ‘s Materials Engineers

A recent study, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, shows for the first time how individual atoms of  are arranged to maximize cutting efficiency and maintain the sharpness of these exquisitely constructed tiny animal tools. A collaboration between a research team at the University of Oregon and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) revealed nature’s solution to enable tiny creatures to cut and puncture with relative ease.…