Northwestern Builds Polymer That Mimics Mussels
Inspired by the mussel’s remarkable ability to stick to organic and inorganic materials, researchers at Northwestern University have developed a versatile polymer coating with a variety of potential medical applications.
To create the new coating, a team led by biomedical engineer Phillip B. Messersmith used inexpensive dopamine molecules that simulated adhesive components present in mussel proteins. The team discovered that once dopamine was diluted in water and adjusted to marine pH levels it had the ability to coat just about any solid object immersed in the solution.
In addition to adhering to all 25 materials tested (including the traditionally difficult Teflon), the polydopamine coating contains a chemically reactive surface that’s receptive to a wide variety of second coatings.
The simplicity of the coating process, combined with the multiple layering options, makes the coating an attractive prospect for manufacturers of biosensors, medical devices and flexible electronics. The innovation may also prove beneficial to engineers developing surfaces to support biospecific interactions in stem cell studies. As the group’s leader explained,
“Existing methods for modifying material surfaces are fairly restricted to specific materials—what works well on glass would not work well on gold. Our method is a much more general strategy for a variety of surfaces. We haven’t found a material to which we can’t apply polydopamine.”
Phillip B. Messersmith
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Results of the Northwestern study are published in the October 19, 2007, edition of the journal Science.
Source: Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science News
Related Links: AAAS.org; ScienceDaily; National Institute of Standards and Technology; University of Michigan Record; National Geographic; Bio-Medicine.org
Tags: Haeshin Lee; William M. Miller; chemical engineering; biofoul
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