Mussel byssal threads

Fig. 4 Molecular model of reversible deformation behavior in mussel byssal threads (Copyright 2013 The American Chemical Society) [95]...

Vaccaro E, Waite JH (2001) Yield and post-yield behavior of mussel byssal thread a self-healing biomolecular material. Biomacromolecules 2 906-911... 

Figure 6 The mussel Mytilus edulis with holdfast byssal threads. Original photograph from Messersmith research group.

Figure 2.2 (a) Attachment of mussel to surface (like other mussels or rocks) by using byssal threads (Cha et al., 2008). (h) Scheme representing stmctures and proteins involved in mussel adhesion (Cha et al., 2008). (c) Mechanism of l-DOPA—mediated adhesion in mussels. The reduced DOPA hinds directly to surface resulting in adhesion (left). Cohesion is obtained by metal ion templating and oxidation chemistry (right) (Wilker, 2011). 

Byssal threads and adhesive plaques of blue mussel made of Mefp (Mytilus edulis foot protein)... 

With this work, Waite and coworkers were able to form a hydrogel mimicking the effect that byssal threads of mussels use to adhere on surfaces. The system is based on modified PEG, allowing possible applications in the fields of engineering and biomedicine. 

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