science top stories popular news  

Daily non-political popular news in brief.

Synthetic adhesive mimics sticking powers of gecko and mussel

07-18-2007 · EurekAlert!

Northwestern University biomedical engineers have married the gecko’s adhesive ability with that of an animal well known for its sticking power underwater: the mussel. Combining the important elements of gecko and mussel adhesion, the new adhesive material, called "geckel," functions like a sticky note and exhibits strong yet reversible adhesion in both air and water. The findings could lead to applications in medical, industrial, consumer and military settings.

Read more »

Keywords: synthetic, adhesive, mimics, sticking, powers, gecko, mussel, mimic, power

« Previous | Next »

Similar news on "Synthetic adhesive mimics sticking powers of gecko and mussel":

  1. Nanotube adhesive sticks better than a gecko's foot
    06-18-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Mimicking the agile gecko, with its uncanny ability to run up walls and across ceilings, has long been a goal of materials scientists. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Akron have taken one sticky step in the right direction, creating synthetic "gecko tape" with four times the sticking power of the real thing.
    Similar news · Read more »
  2. New adhesive mimics gecko toe hairs
    01-30-2008 · EurekAlert!
    A new antisliding adhesive developed by UC Berkeley engineers may be the closest man-made material yet to mimic the remarkable gecko toe hairs that enable the tiny lizard's gravity-defying feats. The researchers say that among the future applications for such an adhesive is a robot that could climb up vertical walls and ceilings.
    Similar news · Read more »
  3. Gecko adhesive gets added mussel
    08-04-2007 · Science News Online
    A new adhesive that borrows tricks from the gecko and the mussel can stick and detach repeatedly and works even when wet.
    Similar news · Read more »
  4. Synthetic compound promotes death of lung-cancer cells, tumors
    11-12-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Human lung cancer tumors grown in mice have been shown to regress or disappear when treated with a synthetic compound that mimics the action of a naturally occurring 'death-promoting' protein found in cells, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.
    Similar news · Read more »
  5. Synthetic compound promotes death of lung-cancer cells, tumors
    11-12-2007 · UT Southwestern Medical Center
    Human lung-cancer tumors grown in mice have been shown to regress or disappear when treated with a synthetic compound that mimics the action of a naturally occurring “death-promoting” protein found in cells, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.
    Similar news · Read more »
  6. 'Exercise pill' switches on gene that tells cells to burn fat
    04-29-2007 · EurekAlert!
    By giving ordinary adult mice a drug -- a synthetic designed to mimic fat -- scientists are now able to chemically switch on PPAR-d, the master regulator that controls the ability of cells to burn fat. Even when the mice are not active, turning on the chemical switch activates the same fat-burning process that occurs during exercise. The resulting shift in energy balance (calories in, calories burned) makes the mice resistant to weight gain on a high fat diet.
    Similar news · Read more »
  7. Tethered to chip, energy supply that drives sperm could power 'nanobot'
    12-03-2007 · EurekAlert!
    The biological pathway that powers sperm to swim long distances could be harnessed to nanotech devices, releasing drugs or performing mechanical functions inside the body, according to a presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual meeting.
    Similar news · Read more »
  8. Now, self-healing materials can mimic human skin, healing again and again
    06-11-2007 · EurekAlert!
    The next generation of self-healing materials, invented by researchers at the University of Illinois, mimics human skin by healing itself time after time. The new materials rely upon embedded, three-dimensional microvascular networks that emulate biological circulatory systems.
    Similar news · Read more »
  9. Nature's secrets yield new adhesive material
    07-18-2007 · EurekAlert!
    Scientists report they have merged two of nature's most elegant strategies for wet and dry adhesion to produce a synthetic material that one day could lead to more durable and longer-lasting bandages, patches, and surgical materials.
    Similar news · Read more »
  10. Flow of tiny bubbles mimics computer circuitry
    02-08-2007 · Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    In work that could dramatically boost the capabilities of "lab on a chip" devices, MIT researchers have created a way to use tiny bubbles to mimic the capabilities of a computer while also performing chemical reactions.
    Similar news · Read more »