When researching biomimicry in architecture, the first building you will undoubtedly come across is 30 St Mary Axe, popularly known as The Gherkin Building, created by Norman Foster and which has become one of the London skyline's trademark landmarks. The structure was inspired by the saccule, or biological equivalent of an ear drum, which forms a protective shell around the seeds of many plants including cottonwood trees- which explains its name. People sometimes ask me if The Gherkin is a form of biomimicry, and the answer is yes! It uses natural materials and functions to protect its contents while at the same time being attractive to look at. This is what bioprospecting aims to do: find resources from nature and apply them towards human needs. Bioprospecting has been used for centuries to find materials such as metals and minerals which can now be found easily in nature using modern technology. Bioprospecting has also led to the discovery of many new organisms with potential use in medicine, such as the HIV virus inhibitor flavonoid called quercetin which comes from a tree native to North America. The goal of bioprospecting is to collect information about these resources which are available in nature but often inaccessible due to their location.