Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia
By Emily Persico
Applying glue underwater can get sticky—Or, more often than not, there can be a severe lack of stick. To solve this problem, scientists at Purdue University decided to look to shellfish.
Mussels produce an impressive, nature adhesive that glues them to rocks and holds them there amid crashing waves and pulling currents. Their adhesive consists of tiny hairs and proteins containing the amino acid DOPA, which, unlike most artificial glues, does not react with water.
Mimicking mussels’ ideas and borrowing their amino acids, scientists have created a glue that is 17 times stronger than natural mussel adhesive. While these scientists do not claim to have outsmarted mother nature (mussels have weaker glue for a reason – because they know when they need to let go and relocate), they do claim to have made one of the strongest underwater glues in existence.
The glue is still not perfect but, in time, scientists are hopeful that it will revolutionize the way we manufacture and repair underwater equipment.
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