Abstract
The ability to adhere materials underwater is greatly impeded by the presence of a boundary layer of water between the two adherends, with synthetic adhesives failing due to poor interfacial adhesion. Nature possesses various solutions to this problem, as seen in studied mussels, sandcastle worm and barnacles; however, less complex unicellular organisms such as bacteria are also faced with this problem. One of the primary colonizers of submerged surfaces is the bacteria Caulobacter crescentus, which adheres underwater by means of a secreted adhesive holdfast that possesses the highest measured adhesive strength for any microorganism. Little is known about the material properties of this adhesive. We use a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to elucidate the chemical components of the holdfast, its structural features as well as its interaction with different surface characteristics. An understanding of these properties will provide design ideas for the fabrication of bio-inspired underwater adhesives with potential applications in areas such as engineering, medicine and biomimetics.
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