The Healing Power of Mussels
Researchers are looking at mussels -- and their impressive ability to stick to things -- to find ways of creating a new generation of bandages and medical adhesives.
Less than satisfied with the effectiveness of man-made medical "glues" at bonding human tissue -- not to mention their susceptibility to contamination -- Wired reports that chemists are studying how mussels are able to cling so well to rocks, wood, and other materials, particularly in a wet environment.
"The interface between ocean and land has been an important zone in evolutionary history," University of Utah biochemist Russell Stewart told Wired. "Marine organisms exploit multiple bonding mechanisms. By using multiple chemical bonds, they're able to bond to multiple substrates."
Chemists have even created a prototype bandage using an inkjet printer filled with adhesive proteins taken from mussels. However, artificially replicating how the proteins are structured in mussels' natural adhesive -- key to its strength -- remains a major scientific challenge.
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