The photo of the man in the lab coat shows him holding a glass slide to which a grey or blue translucent bandage is attached. The bandage is in turn holding up a pig's heart, many times its weight. The bandage is.made with secretions from a slug. As a defense mechanism, slugs secrete an exceedingly sticky substance several times stronger than Super Glue. Surgeons use bandages like this in places where stitches would be contraindicated.

See more objects with the tag science, experimental materials, bandages, biotechnology, adaptation, medical equipment.

Object Timeline

	We acquired this object.
0	Work on this object ended.
2017	Work on this object began.
2019	We photographed this object. We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Sea Slug Bandages, 2017-ongoing

It was designed by David Mooney, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and institution: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. It is dated 2017-ongoing. Its medium is sealed bandage models, photograph. It is a part of the department.

Inspired by the Dusky Arion slug’s incredible defense mechanism—the secretion of a sticky mucus some 2 to 5 times stronger than Super Glue—researchers from the Mooney Lab for Cell and Tissue Engineering have developed a bandage that emulates some of a slug’s natural advantages. Flexible, biocompatible, and super adhesive, these bandages may be able to assist with human tissue repair both inside and outside the body.

It is credited Courtesy of the Mooney Lab, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.

White Worm Brooch
gold, cloisonné enamel on silver, citrine, pearl.
Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition Fund.
1991-60-1

Woven Picture, 1939
rayon.
American Textile History Museum Collection, gift of Katharine Kreiser and....
2016-35-76

A square bandana with a scarlet red ground and paisley design in black and white. There is a small square in the center with tiny curved droplets outlined in white circles surrounded by a narrow border of repeating paisley droplets and flower motifs in black and white. This square is surrounded by swirling black and white paisley forms with decorative fillings, including curved droplets, fleur de lis and twined branches.

Bandana (USA)
cotton.
Gift of Penelope McCain.
1986-40-20

Our curators have highlighted 1 object that are related to this one.

A square, thin, transparent pouch is held up and stretched by two pairs of hands wearing purple laboratory gloves. The pouch appears pink against a bright orange background and seems made of a material similar to cellophane or cling wrap. In the middle of the pouch, roughly along a diagonal, there are five pairs of chambers that hold a slightly opaque liquid, while the rest of the pouch appears flat and empty. The five pairs of chambers appear to be folding up and down like mountain and valley folds in Origami. The chambers have sealed margins but are connected to each other at the folds by small unsealed openings through which the liquid passes. The top left and bottom right chambers are each connected to an injection needle with a tube closed by a plastic on/off clamp allowing to fill liquid into the chambers.

Origami Membrane for 3D Organ Engineering, 2018-ongoing
flat, semi-folded and fully folded models in lightbox, photograph, video.
Courtesy of Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard....
NATURE.054

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/4wUs7S/
Accession Number NATURE.045
Object ID 2318798870