An interdisciplinary group of researchers at UC Santa Barbara has developed an underwater adhesive that can be used in tissue repair applications. The technology replicates the adhesion strategy of the Sandcastle worm (Phragmatopoma californica), a segmented marine invertebrate commonly found along the California coast.

Known for constructing hive-like shelters in colonies out of grains of sand glued together by a protein adhesive, sandcastle worms, along with mussels and other glue-secreting inhabitants of the intertidal zone, have served as inspiration for scientists and engineers seeking to develop an adhesive that can perform in wet and submerged and conditions.

The processing of UC Santa Barbara's wet glue does not require the pre-immersive dry curing or applied compressing pressure normally required in conventional studies. The synthetic glue also promotes adhesion between a variety of surfaces, including plastics, glasses, metals, wood, and biological tissues.

Additionally, the resulting microarchitecture of the synthetic glue, which mimics the porous structure of sandcastle worm adhesive, makes the material more resistant to cracking.

The adhesive performs in wet and especially adverse conditions, and could lead to a variety of applications, such as dental adhesion and the repair of tissue, skin, bones, and membranes that are surrounded by bodily fluids.

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