Unraveling the Mysteries of Mussels
Looking at a plate of steamed mussels, it’s hard to imagine anything impressive about the plain little creatures. Yet, researchers at MIT have discovered that mussels may offer the key to developing revolutionary new materials for surgical repairs. In order to secure themselves to rocks, mussels produce threads of a substance called byssus. Byssus is made of a protein closely related to collagen, which mammals use to form skin, bones, cartilage, and tendons. Read More