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IRG-1. NSF-DMR 0520415. Understanding Nature’s glue. edible mussel Mytilus edulis. Getting a fluid adhesive to spread, stick and harden underwater is no piece of cake.
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IRG-1 NSF-DMR 0520415 Understanding Nature’s glue edible mussel Mytilus edulis Getting a fluid adhesive to spread, stick and harden underwater is no piece of cake Mussel-inspired adhesion has much to teach about the chemistry and processing of polymers and provides a glimpse of some remarkable physical properties exhibited by this complex fluid.. Mussel adhesive processing has been mimicked by Waite, TirrellandIsraelachvilimixing a recombinant mussel adhesive protein (MAP) with hyaluronic acid (HA) to form a fluid coacervate. Significantly, these unique materials were shown to be shear-thinning, while also having high friction coefficients (>1.2), and extremely low interfacial energies (<1mJ/m2). Shear thinning viscosity Adhesive: HA+MAP coacervate Low interfacial energy High friction coefficient