New Waterproof, Bacteria-Resistant Bioadhesive Inspired by Mussel Mucas
Marine molluscs cluster atop rocks and along the bottoms of ships, and hold fast against the ocean’s waves thanks to a gluey plaque they secrete through their foot. These adhesive structures have prompted scientists in recent years to design similar bioinspired, waterproof adhesives.
Engineers from MIT and Freie Universität Berlin have developed a new type of glue that combines the waterproof stickiness of the mussels’ plaques with the germ-proof properties of another natural material: mucus. In their new work, the engineers combined sticky, mussel-inspired polymers with mucus-derived proteins, or mucins, to form a gel that strongly adheres to surfaces.
The new mucus-derived glue prevented the buildup of bacteria while keeping its sticky hold, even on wet surfaces. The researchers envision that once the glue’s properties are optimized, it could be applied as a liquid by injection or spray, which would then solidify into a sticky gel. The material might be used to coat medical implants, for example, to prevent infection and bacteria buildup.
“The applications of our materials design approach will depend on the specific precursor materials,” says George Degen, a postdoc in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “For example, mucus-derived or mucus-inspired materials might be used as multifunctional biomedical adhesives that also prevent infections. Alternatively, applying our approach to keratin might enable development of sustainable packaging materials.”
A paper detailing the team’s results appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Degen’s MIT co-authors include Corey Stevens, Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Jake Song, Katharina Ribbeck, and Gareth McKinley, along with Raju Bej, Peng Tang, and Rainer Haag of Freie Universität Berlin.
Source: MIT