the way to make underwater glue with a biomed engineer

Bruce Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, specializes in adhesives inspired through nature. greater particularly, the herbal glues made by using mussels that anchor them to rocks, boats and docks. Lee's past paintings on hydrogels and tissue adhesives led him to look extra closely at what makes those adhesives work underwater -- and how humans may want to use them.

As a participant in the office of Naval research's young Investigator program, Lee plans to keep delving into now not most effective what makes mussels sticky however additionally how to reverse that adhesion.

"This paintings is novel inside the feel that there is no clever adhesive available which could perform underwater," he says. "The chemistry that we can incorporate into the adhesive, causing it to reversibly bond and de-bond, is pretty new."

Adhering to Biomimicry

Lee looks at a particular amino acid discovered in mussel foot proteins, referred to as DOPA (three,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), which is associated with dopamine. In past research, Lee and his graduate students showed that DOPA will be manipulated to design a hydrogel actuator, that is a mass of jello-like polymers coated with iron bands that permit it to transport on its personal.

The undertaking now is to determine out a way to observe an electric powered modern-day, inflicting the DOPA-based totally adhesive to release, after which reapplying the modern-day to make it glue-like again.

"A clever adhesive can bind sensors underwater; it is able to connect to a deliver hull; it potentially could assist underwater robotics or unmanned vehicles and integrate with naval structures," Lee says.

He provides there is also a biomedical factor: "consider a band-useful resource -- our adhesive could be a much less painful manner to cast off a bandage -- or being capable of detach or reattach a prosthetic limb or a wearable sensor."

Sean Kirkpartick, chair of the branch of Biomedical Engineering, says Lee's work is a great instance of innovative and innovative studies.

"The YIP software is one of the maximum selective studies funding programs in the united states," he says. "The fact that Lee acquired this award shows that the faculty and the research packages inside the department of Biomedical Engineering are on par with the best programs within the state."

fundamental technological know-how

To Lee, the important thing to making this research venture work is leaving it pretty open-ended. basic technology is ready information the mechanism of a phenomenon -- in this situation, the chemical reactions riding adhesion -- then the substances and research may be tailored for greater particular uses.

He also says collaboration is an important part of his work and is one of the reasons he obtained the YIP Award.

"we've numerous water-targeted studies going on via the superb Lakes research center (GLRC), and i will have possibilities to collaborate with colleagues on campus," Lee says, including that he will work intently with man Meadows, the center's director, to test the adhesive on underwater independent vehicles.

"Lee's work has the potential to trade the way we connect components underwater," Meadows says, explaining that he and other GLRC researchers commenced operating with Lee to connect a digicam to a living, 5-foot-long exceptional Lakes sturgeon to learn wherein they pass after spawning.

From following fish to healing wounds to monitoring submarines, Lee's mussel-stimulated adhesion research is positive to paste around a while.