⚗️ Mussels and mistletoe to replace our glues and plastics

Inspired by the production of natural fibers and adhesives by mussels and mistletoe, a research team from McGill University has developed a new method for manufacturing complex materials that could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics and glues.

"Living organisms can manufacture high-performance materials from their basic constituents, which assemble to form complex structures. This process remains very difficult for humans to replicate using conventional material manufacturing approaches," says Matthew Harrington, professor of chemistry and lead author of the study.


In previous studies on the subject, researchers focused on the mechanisms of natural material production. Building on the results of these studies, the team now aims to develop novel composite materials in the laboratory.

"Our previous work focused on biological materials. We are now working on creating synthetic materials inspired by biology," says Professor Harrington.

Team's approach

To develop these materials, the team drew inspiration from the protein-based adhesive structures produced by mussels, on one hand, and the cellulose fiber networks from mistletoe berries, on the other. By combining a laboratory-produced mussel protein with modified cellulose nanocrystals from wood pulp, the team obtained microdroplets.

"Mussels produce glues, fibers, and coatings from dense protein droplets, while mistletoe uses cellulose nanocrystals as a rigid building material in its firm and adhesive fibers, says Hamideh Alanagh, postdoctoral researcher and principal co-author resource. By combining these two mechanisms, we are laying the foundation for sustainable manufacturing of advanced materials."

Thanks to a simple freeze-drying method, the droplets assembled into aligned porous scaffolds with a layered structure at different scales. The tiny building blocks arranged into broader patterns, similar to those found in biological tissues. "These droplets serve as simple precursors for manufacturing complex materials," declares Theo van de Ven, professor of chemistry and senior author.

The scaffolds can also be redissolved into droplets and then reassembled to form new structures, which hints at a manufacturing process that allows for repeated reuse of a material. "The reversibility of the droplet manufacturing process is, in itself, particularly interesting from a sustainability perspective," emphasizes Hamideh Alanagh. Moreover, laboratory tests have shown that these materials are not toxic to human cells, which opens the way for possible biomedical applications, particularly in tissue engineering.

Amin Ojagh, postdoctoral researcher and co-lead author of the study, emphasizes that this advancement was made possible by combining knowledge about marine and plant materials.

"We could never have created these new materials without the knowledge drawn from these two systems," he says.

"Some materials we use daily, such as plastics, glues, and composites, harm our environment," emphasizes Professor Harrington. By drawing inspiration from nature, we can develop eco-friendly and sustainable manufacturing methods and produce materials with remarkable properties."