This award in the Chemistry of Life Processes (CLP) program supports work by Professor Jonathan Wilker at Purdue University to carry out fundamental studies on the adhesive of marine mussels. The adhesives and cements of mussels, barnacles, starfish, and limpets are familiar to anyone who has ever explored a tide pool. Current research efforts are focused upon uncovering the chemistry central to formation and function of these fascinating biological materials. Experiments include work with live animals, extracted proteins, and synthetic peptide models. This collection of studies will help to provide detailed insights on the chemistry of metal-induced protein cross-linking as well as the resulting influence of these reactions upon adhesive performance. Design of new materials is a logical outgrowth of such marine biomaterial characterization efforts. Understanding marine mussel adhesive may provide insights useful to developing surgical adhesives, dental cements, and rustproof coatings.
