Biomimicry + Green Chemistry = New Solutions:
“Our aspiration is to learn some new design principles from nature that we haven’t yet actually been using in man-made materials that we can then apply to make man-made materials even better,†said Chicago postdoctoral scholar Niels Holten-Andersen.
Continued at: http://www.gizmag.com/
By building on recent advances that used atomic-force microscopy to puzzle out the mussel’s secrets, the researchers synthesized an organic polymer and mixed it with metal salts at low pH. The mixture turns into a gel when the pH is increased by adding sodium hydroxide. In addition to uses as an underwater adhesive, the substance has medical applications as surgical glue. And, because its design is based on nature, it can be manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner.
Continued at: http://taintedgreen.com/