Max Planck Institute uncovers five versatile snail slime types

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, led by Franziska Jehle, published a study in *Science* describing how the common banded snail (Cepaea nemoralis) produces five distinct slime variants. The slime types – gliding, adhesive, protective, defensive and foamy – serve functions ranging from locomotion to deterring predators and sealing the shell during hibernation.

All variants share a common protein matrix built around collagen VI, supplemented with sugars and calcium, but the snail alters the material’s properties by layering, drying or incorporating air. The findings highlight the slime’s potential as a high‑performance, biocompatible adhesive for medical applications.