Researchers from the University of Washington want to improve the pipe. Specifically, they are developing a flexible pipe with an interior helical structure that makes fluid flow one way and not the other. In the latest example of nature-inspired biomimicry, the team turned to shark intestines and their new prototypes stand to make a significant impact on everything from medicine to engineering. 

When it comes to getting fluid to flow in one direction, designs like those found in engines have traditionally leaned on flaps. And while human intestines are more or less hollow tubes, shark guts have a network of spirals surrounding an interior passageway. Previous work has suggested that this unique structure promotes one-way fluid flow or flow asymmetry. 

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