Ithaca College

Dr. Smith’s talk was titled “Double networks and gastropod glue: Unlocking the potential of adhesive gels”. The Adhesion Society brings together researchers from academic and industrial labs from around the world to discuss the latest developments in the field. Dr. Smith presented recent work from his lab on an unusual biological glue produced by a terrestrial slug. His research demonstrated the toughening mechanism of the glue, and provided detailed evidence identifying the chemical interactions that cause it to set into a firm adhesive. Adhesive gels are becoming widely recognized for their potential as an alternative to stitches, and the double network mechanism is a major advance in making gels that are sufficiently tough for this role. Dr. Smith’s work was the first to demonstrate that a biological material uses the double network mechanism to achieve toughness. This work has inspired the development of a novel biomedical adhesive.