Nature sticks it to the man

You might not think it, but Airfix kits, broken vases and bacteria clinging to rocks in rivers have a common need. Glue – and very strong glue at that

Once again nature has trumped mans best efforts to produce the best stuff for the job. Scientists have found that the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus uses the toughest glue on Earth to stick to river rocks.

It’s not clear how the glue actually works but researchers are aware of its potential uses. “There are obvious applications since this adhesive works on wet surfaces,” said study leader Yves Brun, an Indiana University bacteriologist. “One possibility would be as a biodegradable surgical adhesive.”

The researchers found that the single-celled bacterium uses sugar molecules to stay put in rivers, streams, and water pipes. The adhesive can withstand an enormous amount of stress, equal to the force felt by a coin with more than three cars piled on top of it - three times more force than the best retail glues can handle.

The team is now trying to synthesise the glue, however, it has proved challenging. The glue tends to stick to everything, including the tools used to create it. “We tried washing the glue off,” Brun said. “It didn't work.”
The research was published in the April issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.