Glue from the mussels foot
A research company in Sweden has developed a method to extract glue from the
feet of Blue mussels. From 10 kilograms of mussels it is possible to manufacture
a few milligrams of glue for use in the medical and electronic industries. Interest
for this type of glue came from the American navy. In certain glands in the
foot of the Blue mussel there is an adhesive substance, a protein that attaches
itself very well to a variety of surfaces. The US Navy wanted to use the glue
for protecting different types Marine equipment such as cameras, and therefore
the US Navy has subsidized large parts of the mussel glue research in the USA.
The glue is a water resistant Biological adhesive that is environmentally sound
with good adhesive properties. The active substance in the glue is a protein
found in a gland in the foot of the Blue mussel. The protein is secreted to
enable the mussel to adhere to the substrate and is composed of 75-80 repeated
sequences of hexa/ decapeptides . These have a high content of the hydroxyl
bearing amino acids hydroxyprolin, tyrosin och dopa that are the most active
in the adhesion process. Within the medical industry, the glue can be used for
mending fractures, within eye surgery, organ transplantation or within dentistry.
As anti-fouling, the glue functions as a protective surface layer and within
the electronic industry it is hoped that it can be used as an electrically conductive
and water resistan glue. To accomplish this, metal ions, for example of silver,
must be added.
Blue mussel
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© Aquascope 2000 Tjärnö Marine Biological
Laboratory, Strömstad, Sweden
Bo Johannesson
| Martin Larsvik
| Lars-Ove
Loo | Helena
Samuelsson