New Glue Has Mussel Power

April 16, 2008 -- Mussels can stick to virtually any surface, from metal to wood to plastic. Now their tenacious adhesive abilities have inspired a synthetic version of their glue.

The mussel-inspired substance, which scientists call a primer, uses artificial versions of the natural proteins mussels use. Like the bivalve aquatic creatures, the new glue can even stick to Teflon, the notoriously slippery coating found on Navy submarines and non-stick cookware.

Scientists plan to apply antibacterial nanoparticles and pharmaceutical drugs to the sticky substance, which can then be used as paint primer on drug-coated medical devices or in cosmetics, says a new study in the journal Advanced Materials.

"We tried to capture the ability of mussels to attach to wood, whale skin, ships, Teflon, metal, lots of different things, which is very unusual in adhesives," said Phil Messersmith, a scientist at Northwestern University and study coauthor.

Exactly how the primer sticks is still uncertain.

"The mechanism behind adhesives of mussel glues are very interesting," said Nicholas Kotov, a scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who was not involved in the study.

The new adhesive, Kotov adds, "will help scientists to design new interfacial bonding agents."

Most glues or primers have both mechanical and chemical properties that help them bind. Glue seeps into a surface's microscopic nooks and crannies and then locks in place physically. At the same time, chemical reactions form between the glue and the substrate that further lock the material into place.