ABSTRACT
This chapter describes recent advances on bioadhesives in the mussel byssus system and unveils the associated molecular interaction mechanisms. These studies are of both fundamental and practical importance for the design and development of novel biomimetic materials with biomedical and industrial applications. 3.1 IntroductionThe physiological environment of a human body shows several common features with the wind-and wave-swept seacoasts, which experience both continuous mechanical, chemical, and biological stresses from the salinity, humidity and dramatic environmental variations such as temperature, pH, flow pattern (tides, turbulence for seashore and heart-pumped flow in human body), degradation and attacks (microbial predators in seawater, endogenous enzymes, and immunogenic attacks in human body). Interestingly, mussels are able to survive in such harsh marine environment by
producing the proteinaceous byssus to adhere tightly to various substrata underwater, which has received much attention due to their unique underwater adhesion capability for the development of novel biomimetic biomaterials (i.e., coatings, adhesives, drug delivery carriers) for biomedical applications [1-5].
