Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8.1
Sub-aerial microalgae colonizing natural and anthropogenic
surfaces. Green microalgae (Chlorophyta) can rapidly grow as
extensive biofilms on natural surfaces such as (a) on this tree
in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, (b) on a range of artificial surfaces
such as shown here as a conspicuous biofilm on a wooden
fence in Rostock, Germany, and (c) on concrete surfaces of a
staircase at Howth, Dublin, Ireland. The way they attach so
strongly (even in inhospitable environmental conditions) has
been attributed to amyloid structures in their adhesive matrix.
See also Colour Insert.
Despite their great potential for inspiring biomimetic
applications, there are a number of reasons why many biological
adhesives are only recently becoming better understood. Although
some organisms secrete a relatively large quantity of extracellular
polymeric substances to adhere, there are many smaller attachment
organisms (e.g., protists, fungi, and microalgae) which only secrete
miniscule amounts of complex adhesive. Thus only very small
amounts are available which can be isolated for biochemical
analyses. This poses an enormous challenge for the identification
and characterization of specific adhesive polymers, and further
difficulties arise due to their high insolubility and rapid curing.
Overcoming these challenges signals the turning point for extracting
the exact working mechanisms and developing a full understanding
of biological adhesives and cements. Significant progress can
be made by approaching the field in an interdisciplinary way,
combining a knowledge of ecology to identify potentially useful
model organisms with biochemistry expertise to analyse the
adhesives and cements, and mechanics to interpret their structure
and material properties.
By using modern methods such as the tools of nanotechnology
for studying the molecular mechanisms of adhesives, we have an
opportunity to build upon the basic biochemical and mechanical
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