Adhesive works under water: an aquatic bacterium

1 of 1 Caulobacter crescentus / Courtesy of .. / License

Holdfast of aquatic bacterium adheres under water using powerful adhesive.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Move or stay put >
	Attach >
	Permanently

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Repairing ships at sea, alternatives to sutures and staples in surgical procedures, construction adhesives (such as attaching stone facades to buildings, concrete slabs inside tunnels, bridges, creating strong seals in sewage pipe joints to avoid sewage leaks or groundwater infiltration).

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"'It's three to four times stronger than superglue,' says Indiana University bacteriologist Yves Brun. Its strong enough, he adds, that a quarter-size patch could conceivably suspend a 5-ton elephant. In quantitative terms, the sticking power of the bacterium's adhesive approaches 70 Newton/mm2, reports Brun, Brown University biophysicist Jay X. Tang, and their coworkers. The Caulobacter crescentus cells of the study are everywhere in aquatic settings. In one of their two forms, they grow stalks capped with a footlike structure known as a holdfast. There, an adhesive concoction, based in part on polysaccharides of N-acetylglucosamine, enables the cell to stick to surfaces. Once in place, the 'stalk' cells bud off a series of mobile 'swarmer cells' that seek out their own little dots of real estate, to which they stick by growing their own stalks and holdfasts." (Amato 2006:8)

About the inspiring organism

Caulobacter crescentus
Caulobacter crescentus Poindexter 1964 (Approved Lists 1980)

IUCN Red List Status: Unknown

Some organism data provided by: BIOS: Bacteriology Insight Orienting System
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Repairing ships at sea, alternatives to sutures and staples in surgical procedures, construction adhesives (such as attaching stone facades to buildings, concrete slabs inside tunnels, bridges, creating strong seals in sewage pipe joints to avoid sewage leaks or groundwater infiltration).

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Shipping, medical devices, construction

Experts

Department of Biology
Yves Brun
Indiana University--Bloomington

References

Amato, I. 2006. Sticky Bacterium: Chemistry behind biological adhesives super strength remains unknown. Chemical & Engineering News [Internet], Accessed 08 November 2008.

Adhesive works under water: an aquatic bacterium

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