
The tentacles of squid are loaded with hundreds of suction cups or suckers, and each sucker has a ring of razor-sharp "teeth" that help these mighty predators latch onto and take down prey.
In a study published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers report that the proteins in these teeth could form the basis for a new generation of strong, but malleable, materials that could someday be used for reconstructive surgery, eco-friendly packaging and many other applications.
Ali Miserez and colleagues explain that in previous research, they discovered that sharp, tough squid sucker ring teeth (SRT) are made entirely of proteins. That makes SRT distinct from many other natural polymers and hard tissues (such as bones) that require the addition of minerals or other substances to perform the right activities, they say. The team already had identified one "suckerin" protein and deciphered its genetic code. They also found that this protein could be remolded into different shapes. But what about the other suckerins in SRT?
Source: Eurekalert
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