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Slug slime inspires new medical glue
The new technology was inspired by the humble slug.
Technology has wide ranging applications

Slug slime has inspired scientists to create a “tough adhesive” that binds to biological tissues, without toxicity, even when they’re wet.

Researchers say the material has far reaching applications in the medical field, either as a patch that can be cut to desired sizes and applied to tissue surfaces or as an injectable solution for deeper injuries.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).

“Nature has frequently already found elegant solutions to common problems; it’s a matter of knowing where to look and recognising a good idea when you see one,” says Donald Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute.

“We are excited to see how this technology, inspired by the humble slug, might develop into a new technology for surgical repair and wound healing.”

The adhesive was inspired by a slug called The Dusky Arion, which is commonly found in Europe and the United States. The Dusky Arion secretes a special type of mucus that, when threatened, binds it to the spot, making it difficult for the predator to pry it off.

Previous research showed that its mucus is composed of a tough matrix littered with positively-charged proteins. This inspired the researchers to create a double-layered hydrogel, consisting of an alginate-polyacrylamide matrix. The matrix then supports an adhesive layer that has positively charged polymers protruding from its surface.

They tested the adhesive on an array of wet and dry pig tissues, including skin, heart cartilage, liver and artery. The team found that it stuck to them all with significantly greater strength than other medical adhesives. The adhesive also maintained its stability and bonding when implanted into rats for two weeks and when used to seal a hole in a pig’s heart.

“This family of adhesives has wide-ranging applications,” says co author Dr Adam Celiz, a bioengineering lecturer at Imperial College London. “We could even combine this technology, with soft robotics to make sticky robots, or with pharmaceuticals to make a new vehicle for drug delivery.”

The study, Tough adhesives for diverse wet surfaces, is published in the journal Science

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.