For years, scientists have been adopting various mechanical phenomena observed in the nature. Now, they are also developing interest in the chemical processes. Janek von Byern, a zoologist, has been researching natural glue and its properties...
...Animals, such as the North American salamander, insects of New Zealand, and the grapevine snail excrete such sticky substances. It took a lot of time to figure out what exactly makes snail slime so gluey. The purpose of this project is to make it possible to produce cheap natural glue in great volumes.
Ticks can glue themselves to Skin
Johannes Suppan studies the tick cement for a year now. A tick can hold on to its victim for days and even weeks, thanks to the sticky secretion of its salivary gland. This fact is of great interest for the scientists since this glue already works on skin, making the task much easier. These findings may also provide an advantage to the industry, as the highly toxic formaldehyde is still being used. Here, a natural glue could provide an attractive alternative.
Source: Spiegel online
