Press Release 06-060
Waterproof Superglue May Be Strongest in Nature

Bacterial adhesive is 2-3 times stronger than common commercial glues

Aquatic bacteria attach to a surface, and each other, by their glue-secreting holdfasts. Credit and Larger Version

April 11, 2006

The glue one species of water-loving bacteria uses to grip its surroundings may be the strongest natural adhesive known to science. If engineers can find a way to mass-produce the material, it could have uses in medicine, marine technology and a range of other applications.

Researchers at Indiana University in Bloomington and Brown University in Providence, R.I., studied how much force they needed to tug the tiny, stalked Caulobacter crescentus off a glass plate. As the researchers reported in the Apr. 11, 2006, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the bacteria grip with a force of 70 newtons per square millimeter--roughly 5 tons per square inch--or equivalent to the downward force exerted by three cars balancing on a spot the size of a quarter. While the researchers do not yet know if the substance is the strongest glue on Earth, it is stronger than cyanoacrylate superglues found on store shelves and may be rivaled only by a few synthetics.

Several NSF programs have supported the research. Funding for this study came from the Division of Materials Research in the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Directorate.

Additional information is available in the Indiana University press release linked below.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Joshua A. Chamot, NSF (703) 292-7730 jchamot@nsf.gov
Wendy Lawton, Brown University (401) 863-1862 Wendy_Lawton@brown.edu
David Bricker, Indiana University (812) 856-9035 brickerd@indiana.edu

Program Contacts
Maija M. Kukla, NSF (703) 292-4940 mkukla@nsf.gov
Patrick P. Dennis, NSF (703) 292-7145 pdennis@nsf.gov
Charles Bouldin, NSF (703) 292-4920 cbouldin@nsf.gov
Sally E. O'Connor, NSF (703) 292-8470 soconnor@nsf.gov
Wendy Fuller-Mora, NSF (703) 292-4931 wfullerm@nsf.gov

Co-Investigators
Ben Freund, Brown University (401) 863-1476 freund@brown.edu
Jay X. Tang, Brown University (401) 863 2292 Jay_Tang@Brown.edu
Yves Brun, Indiana University (812) 855-8860 ybrun@indiana.edu

Related Websites
Indiana University release: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/3258.html
Yves Brun homepage: http://www.bio.indiana.edu/facultyresearch/faculty/Brun.html
Jay Tang laboratory homepage: http://biophysics.physics.brown.edu/
Ben Freund homepage: http://www.engin.brown.edu/faculty/freund/
Related National Public Radio news broadcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5335766

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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