How snails engineer their slime
Scientists have discovered that snails use a combination of collagen and calcium to tune the mechanical properties of their mucus. This research explains how snails produce different types of slime for functions like lubrication, adhesion, and skin protection.
Why it matters
Understanding the biological engineering of snail slime could lead to advancements in biomimetic materials, cosmetics, and medical drug delivery systems.
from slippery to sticky How snails engineer their slime Collagen and calcium work in tandem to achieve varying mechanical properties of different kinds of mucus.
4 Credit: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Credit: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Snails are well-known for their mucus. The slime is highly valued as an anti-inflammatory and anti-aging ingredient in certain skin care products, and snails can secrete different kinds of mucus with properties tailored to specific functions. A team of German scientists has determined a recipe for how snails achieve that so-called tunability: Collagen and calcium work in tandem to achieve the varying mechanical properties, according to a new paper in the journal Science.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in