Bioadhesion in nature is a physical representation of an organism’s interaction with its environment in both abiotic and biotic contexts. There are many examples of organisms using soft matter excretions, such as mucus and silk, as adhesive materials in predation, defense, habitat selection, locomotion, reproduction. Many biological adhesive materials have evolved to be capable of bonding surfaces in extreme conditions, such as: underwater, high humidity, high surface roughness, and variable temperature. Some biological adhesives deploy novel mechanisms and molecules that have been used as a source of bio-inspiration in the development of next-generation materials and products. Several fields of industry, including medicine, pipeline repair, cold-supply chain, micro-electronics, and robotics, stand to benefit from discoveries that are made in biological adhesives.
The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight a collection of the most recent and impactful advances in the study of soft matter biological adhesives. Specifically, studies focused on how characteristics of biological adhesives can inform organismal evolution and ecology, and bio-inspired design. Recent advances in nanotechnology, microscopy, spectroscopy, and computational modelling have provided new tools that allow researchers to probe some of the most complex and compelling questions in the field. For example, what is the molecular composition and structure of an adhesive biomolecule that remains sticky underwater. The present need for the development of eco-friendly, high-performance adhesives with an ability to perform in harsh conditions make the study of biological adhesives very timely.
We hope to advance the current understanding of how organisms interact with their biotic and abiotic environments through adhesion involving soft matter. We encourage submission of studies relating to the adhesive properties, chemical composition, molecular mechanisms, ecological significance, and synthetic application of naturally-occurring adhesives. We will also consider submissions that include bio-inspired or synthetic adhesives so long as these studies are framed within the context of organismal biology. We prefer experimental studies that reveal novel adhesive performance, characteristics and mechanisms over descriptive/observational studies. We hope for a broad range of submission topics involving abiotic-biotic or biotic-biotic adhesive interactions from the nano- to macro-scale.
Bioadhesion in nature is a physical representation of an organism’s interaction with its environment in both abiotic and biotic contexts. There are many examples of organisms using soft matter excretions, such as mucus and silk, as adhesive materials in predation, defense, habitat selection, locomotion, reproduction. Many biological adhesive materials have evolved to be capable of bonding surfaces in extreme conditions, such as: underwater, high humidity, high surface roughness, and variable temperature. Some biological adhesives deploy novel mechanisms and molecules that have been used as a source of bio-inspiration in the development of next-generation materials and products. Several fields of industry, including medicine, pipeline repair, cold-supply chain, micro-electronics, and robotics, stand to benefit from discoveries that are made in biological adhesives.
The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight a collection of the most recent and impactful advances in the study of soft matter biological adhesives. Specifically, studies focused on how characteristics of biological adhesives can inform organismal evolution and ecology, and bio-inspired design. Recent advances in nanotechnology, microscopy, spectroscopy, and computational modelling have provided new tools that allow researchers to probe some of the most complex and compelling questions in the field. For example, what is the molecular composition and structure of an adhesive biomolecule that remains sticky underwater. The present need for the development of eco-friendly, high-performance adhesives with an ability to perform in harsh conditions make the study of biological adhesives very timely.
We hope to advance the current understanding of how organisms interact with their biotic and abiotic environments through adhesion involving soft matter. We encourage submission of studies relating to the adhesive properties, chemical composition, molecular mechanisms, ecological significance, and synthetic application of naturally-occurring adhesives. We will also consider submissions that include bio-inspired or synthetic adhesives so long as these studies are framed within the context of organismal biology. We prefer experimental studies that reveal novel adhesive performance, characteristics and mechanisms over descriptive/observational studies. We hope for a broad range of submission topics involving abiotic-biotic or biotic-biotic adhesive interactions from the nano- to macro-scale.