Ars Technica: Adhesives that form bonds while immersed in water would have many uses, especially in biomedical applications. To come up with such a substance, researchers have been studying sea-dwelling organisms, such as mussels and algae, whose secretions have naturally adhesive properties. Two different types of adhesive substances were found: One uses a chemical that links proteins together and is thus considered “sticky,” and the other uses an amyloid protein assembly that forms dense fibers. When combined, the sticky proteins enhanced the diameter of the fibers, which increased the surface contact area and improved adhesion. In addition, how the material interacts with different surfaces, such as silica, gold, and polystyrene, appears to depend on the interaction between the fibrous and sticky parts.
