Technology Transfer Sponsored by Most consumer attention to
oysters and mussels has centered on their taste, beautiful by-
products or aphrodisiac effects; however, their adhesive
properties are what caught the attention of Jonathan Wilker,
PhD, associate professor of chemistry, and his research team at
Purdue University. Wilker’s team has been studying marine
biological adhesives for years and has found that the two
mollusks produce adhesives that form a non-toxic, strong bond in
wet environments. Although Wilker mainly has worked to develop
synthetic versions of the adhesives for medical use, he is
investigating other applications, which may include personal
care. Wilker has studied the adhesives produced by various
marine entities, including Mytilus edulis (the blue mussel) and
Crassostea virginica (Eastern oyster)—an oyster popular in the
human diet. He notes one similarity. “Mussels, oysters and
barnacles all use cross-linked proteins, (long biological
polymers), to make their adhesive,” said Wilker. The