The oceans abound with a fascinating array of materials produced by nature. Barnacles cement themselves to rocks. Starfish use adhesives for locomotion. Oysters aggregate to build reef structures. Mussels generate an impressive adhesive that can bond to nearly any surface. Our laboratory is working to understand how such biological materials function, design synthetic mimics, and develop applications for these materials.

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We study how nature makes adhesives, and we continuously search for better ways to be inspired by what nature provides. By utilizing natural products and synthetic materials, we are able to make competitively strong materials without threatening ecosystems. 

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