Dosidicus gigas, commonly called the Humboldt squid and nicknamed the Red Devil for its voracious appetite and pack hunting technique, isn't the only toothy species. All squid species have protein-based teeth, though they don't all look alike. Dosidicus has larger than average teeth because it hunts larger and faster prey than most squid species. The teeth of other species reflect the prey they hunt -- smaller teeth for smaller prey. The protein teeth are lightweight and tough. The scientists predict that mimicking the structure could be ideal for lightweight composites for the automotive, aerospace, sports and medical industries. Such products would likely be environmentally friendly and relatively cheap to manufacture, since the reactions that produce squid teeth don't require exotic ingredients, harsh chemicals or temperature extremes. Reproducing nature's proteins has proven difficult at best. Spider silk, which pound for pound is stronger than steel cable, has yet to be mass produced despite decades of work. "It's not been trivial to translate discoveries of biological strategies into real materials," said Paul Hansma, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "I'm more excited about using bio-inspired structures because you can work on bigger scales sooner than using the bio-inspired material itself." "This is wonderful work that is interesting because of both the composition of the material and its structure," he said. Related Links: |
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