Are Cockroaches Lifesavers?

Cockroaches are inspiring research into antibiotics, robots, and mechanical limbs.

16:32 05 November 2015

There are 4,500 known cockroach species and only four are considered pests. Most are found outside of human homes and perform a vital ecological role, eating dead and decaying matter. While many associate them with dirty kitchen, scientists consider them as a source of inspiration.

 

Professor Robert Full from the University of California was inspired by this insect and in 1999, he developed a six-legged-cockroach-inspired robot that moved faster and more easily than others.

 

Another scientist was inspired by cockroaches and developed the robotic roach – a fusion of live cockroach and mini-computer, which direct the inset to places that are hard for humans to access, such as collapsed buildings or broken sewers. 

 

Lead researcher on a project at Texas A&M University, Hong Liang. "When I first saw them, my hair stood up. But I went on to keep some in my office as pets for a while. They are actually beautiful creatures. They are constantly cleaning themselves."

 

Scientists also researched on how cockroaches survive the dirty environment and they found that they produce their own powerful antibiotics.  Scientists say that cockroaches might hold the key to developing drugs against bacteria that affect human beings such as MRSA and E. coli.