Superglue combines gecko and mussel power
Thursday, 19 Jul 2007 10:58
Geckos stick to walls by bundles of hairs on their feet
Science In Focus
Click here to see how British small businesses are creating innovative, low carbon business ideas, on inthenews.co.uk. Full Story
Scientists have combined the secrets of geckos' and mussels' sticking power to create glue that works on both wet and dry surfaces.
Adhesives often lose their sticking ability when wet, leading researchers from Northwestern University to examine whether a similar technique to one that mussels use to stick to wet surfaces could be used in glue.
Geckos are able to cling to walls and move along upside down thanks to densely-packed, very fine hairs on the flat pads of their feet.
Mussels on the other hand cling to wet surfaces through their polymers and a high concentration of an amino acid in their 'glue' proteins.
To create the glue, known as geckel, the scientists imitated the hairs of the gecko's foot and then coated them with a very fine layer of a synthetic polymer that mimics the wet mussel adhesive proteins.
Researcher Phillip Messersmith said the new adhesive material could be used in medical, industrial, military and consumer settings.
"The geckel material should be useful for reversible attachment to a variety of surfaces in any environment," he said.
"I envision that adhesive tapes made out of geckel could be used to replace sutures for wound closure and may also be useful as a water-resistant adhesive for bandages and drug-delivery patches. Such a bandage would remain firmly attached to the skin during bathing but would permit easy removal upon healing."
But it may be a while before geckel is found on the shelves; experiments so far have only taken place in controlled environments and studies now need to develop a pattern that works on a large scale.
"The challenge will be to scale up the technology and still have the geckel material exhibit adhesive behaviour," Dr Messersmith said.
The research is published in the journal Nature.