Mussel Adhesion: Finding the Tricks Worth Mimicking

ABSTRACT ABSTRACT The byssus is a holdfast structure that allows the marine mussel (Mytilus) to adopt a sessile mode of life even in the most wave-swept habitats. The success of byssus as an adaptation for attachment is at least in part responsible for the fouling caused by these organisms, but it has also provided inspiration for the design of underwater adhesives and coatings. A valuable bio-inspired concept emerging from mussel adhesion is that of polymers with catecholic and phosphate functionalities for robust underwater surface coupling. Prepolymer processing by complex coacervation for good spreading and functional gradients is also likely to find applications. Keywords: MusselMytilusAdhesionByssusBiomimeticsDopa Acknowledgments We thank Russell Stewart for his discussions about regulated protein secretion. The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (BRP) and NASA (University Research, Engineering and Technology Institute on Bio-Inspired Materials award No. NCC-1-02037) provided crucial funding for many of the research pursuits described in this review. This paper is one of a collection of articles honoring Manoj Chaudhury, the recipient in February 2005 of The Adhesion Society Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science, Sponsored by 3M.