The potential result could be a game-changing advance in the production of adhesives used everywhere from dentistry to construction and shipping, all thanks to freshwater mussels. However, researchers have recently shed light on a new property of the oysters’ adhesive that could lead to the development of synthetic, ‘green’ glues patterned after it.
Unraveling the Oyster Adhesive
But freshwater oysters, like the African species Etheria elliptica that Burzyński and Jallon studied in some lakes and rivers, use a powerful adhesive to stick to wood or even other oysters as they secrete shell growth.
What has intrigued researchers about this oyster glue is that it shows properties rarely seen in other organisms of its kind. This adhesive is composed of a mineral called aragonite that the oyster shapes uniquely — the outside layer is soft and the interior layers grow progressively harder.
The stickiness of the oyster glue stems from a complex interplay between aragonite and special proteins produced by the oyster adds Colgate University’s Professor Rebecca Metzler. More fundamentally, this finding might offer new clues for improved synthetic glues that are kinder to the planet.
Synchrotron Science Unlocks the Secrets
Metzler and her team investigated the oyster adhesive using the advanced capabilities of the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan and the Advanced Light Source synchrotron in California.
All of that was just in the energy range and resolution limit where the oyster glue should be analyzed, for which the CLS tools come with their perfect microscopic world. What they discovered is that the adhesive is composed of small aragonite particles that coalesce together to create crystalline structures of different shapes, sizes and orientations.
This deeper understanding of the oyster glue is an important step in progressing towards creating synthetic equivalents. She said the information can be applied more widely in the creation of bio-inspired glues that reproduce some of the special properties of the oyster adhesive.
Conclusion
The finding of the extraordinary properties of the freshwater oyster adhesive and other marine glues may provide new inspiration for better environmentally friendly adhesives. This research has implications that can spread from basic oral care to construction and shipping. With a better knowledge of these oyster reef builders, scientists can also improve their conservation efforts and continue to protect these vital species as the climate continues to change.
