Our research is in fluid mechanics, and it focuses on those conditions where the forces on a body immersed in a fluid are due to the formation of vortical flow structures. This often occurs in nature, where natural evolution has led to optimal solutions for complex problems. Hence, we seek inspiration from the fluid mechanics of plants and animals to develop new technology. Vortices, for instance, are exploited by natural flyers to fly stably and efficiently in the turbulent wind. Similarly, the unsteady forces on flexible blades, wings, and sails can be controlled by manipulating the formation and shedding of vortices. Our research aims to understand and, when possible, control the formation, stability and interaction of these vortices to improve the performance, efficiency and survivability of different engineering systems.