To download a pdf of this article, visit cenm.ag/musselsadhesives.
References used to create this graphic:
Everts, Sarah. “One Mystery of How Mussels Stick to Rocks, Boats Solved.” Chemical & Engineering News, Aug. 6, 2015.
Jee, Samantha, and Matthew J. Harrington. “Formation and Function of Metal Coordination Cross-Linking in Mytilus Mussel Byssus.” Chap. 7 in Metals and Their Functional Role in the Structures of Invertebrates, edited by Matthew S. Lehnert. Springer, 2024. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-68486-9_7.
Patel, Prachi. “Mussel Adhesives Rely on a Pinch of Vanadium.” Chemical & Engineering News, Oct. 8, 2021.
Priemel, Tobias, Gurveer Palia, Frank Förste, Franziska Jehle, Sanja Sviben, Ioanna Mantouvalou, Paul Zaslansky, Luca Bertinetti, and Matthew J. Harrington. “Microfluidic-Like Fabrication of Metal Ion–Cured Bioadhesives by Mussels.” Science (Oct. 2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abi9702.
Shin, Mincheol, Ji Yeon Shin, Kyeounghak Kim, Byeongseon Yang, Jeong Woo Han, Nak-Kyoon Kim, and Hyung Joon Cha. “The Position of Lysine Controls the Catechol-Mediated Surface Adhesion and Cohesion in Underwater Mussel Adhesion.” J. Colloid Interface Sci. (March 2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.12.082.
Torrice, Michael. “Mussel Glues Rely on Cation-Aromatic Attraction.” Chemical & Engineering News, Feb. 15, 2017.
A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest
To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.