Researchers discover how snails adapt mucus properties

Researchers have discovered how common grove snails (Cepaea nemoralis) use biochemical recipes to alter the properties of their mucus for different functions. A study published in the journal Science reveals that snails can adapt the chemical composition of their mucus using the same basic building blocks to create materials that are liquid, solid, sticky, or slippery.

Working in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, scientists from the Biomaterials department analyzed five distinct types of mucus. These variations serve specific purposes: enabling movement, acting as a strong adhesive, protecting the animal from dehydration, sealing the shell during dormancy, and providing defense. Franziska Jehle of the Max Planck Institute for Colloid and Interface Research noted that the ability to change material properties using identical components makes the substance highly significant for biomaterial research.