Washington, Aug 28 (IANS) New research has revealed that an invasive species like the green mussel is inspiring efforts to develop superior bio-medical adhesives, thanks to the powerful stickiness of its foot.
Its adhesiveness has the potential to help form strong bonds in wet surfaces, including teeth and bones, said J. Herbert Waite, senior study author and professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara’s (UCSB), Marine Science Institute.

Perna viridis or the green mussel’s adhesive chemistry is much more complex compared to mussels previously studied, which took Waite and his team six years to unravel.

Waite learned that Perna viridis, a marine creature, relies on an alternative to the common “Dopa” chemistry, based on an elaborate modification of the amino-acid tryptophan in its adhesive protein.

The adhesive could be used to repair ships that have developed cracks while at sea and must be repaired in a wet environment.

Waite was first alerted to the complicated adhesive of the green mussel when a Japanese group contacted him to comment on their research on the animal. He then learned of an infestation of green mussels in Tampa Bay, Florida.

He then traced the species’ movement from the Bay of Bengal to many other locations, including the coasts of Japan, Australia, Korea, China, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

“One aspect that is kind of scary is that the green mussel is more successful than other kinds of mussels at living in polluted water,” said Waite.

Coastal power plants that flush warm seawater into the ocean provide an ideal environment for the mussels. Once they get a foothold, they stay.

These findings were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.