Ro
Maritime government
01-24-2017 03:46:47
A team of U.S. Navy scientists and engineers is synthesizing shellfish-extracted slime with the goal of using it for ballistics protection, firefighting, anti-dirt, divers protection or spraying. -face sharks.
Biochemist Dr. Josh Kogot and materials engineer Dr. Ryan Kincer from the Naval Surface Naval Center, Panama City Division, have produced a synthetic component of hagfish slime in Escherichia coli bacteria.
Pacific shellfish, also known as slime eels, are resident slaves that live on the ocean floor. They can hold down slime to protect themselves by blocking the gills of predators that communicate with the slime.
According to Kincer, slime hagfish is made up of two protein-based components – fiber and mucin.
“The accumulated fiber behaves like a fountain and emerges quickly by contact with water as a result of stored energy,” Kincer said. “The mucin binds to water and restricts the flow between the micro-channels created by the fiber distribution. The interaction between the fiber, mucin and seawater creates a three-dimensional, viscoelastic network. Over time, the thread begins to bend on its own, causing the slime to slowly descend. Studies have shown that hagfish secretion can expand up to 10,000 times than it was originally. ”
The thin thread of hagfish was compared to the silk of spiders. Both are natural, renewable materials that may one day replace synthetic materials derived from a petrol-based precursor. Kogot said the slime yarn has comparative mechanical properties to Kevlar, a synthetic fiber that is used as a reinforcing agent for rubber products and protective gear.
“The opportunities are endless,” Kogot said. “Our goal is to produce material that can be non-lethal and non-kinetic defenses to protect the fighter. ”
The researchers are developing ways to increase the bonding capacity of the slime surface, potential delivery systems and better durability in different environments.