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Humboldt squid. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Humboldt squid is big, fast, and scary. It can grow up to six feet long and weigh a hundred pounds, and it swims fast enough to jet out of the water and fly for short distances. As for the “scary” part, its two tentacles are lined with suckers, each of which is ringed by sharp “teeth.” The Humboldt uses those teeth to grab prey, which it then pulls toward a sharp beak that rips the prey to shreds.
Yet researchers say that, someday, the material that makes up those teeth might be used to heal. It could be used in everything from bandages and reconstructive surgery to body armor.
The teeth are made of a chain of protein molecules called “suckerin.” The material is similar to a spider web, so it offers the same type of strength and flexibility. But its molecules are smaller and simpler. That makes it easier to study and to synthesize in the laboratory.
And researchers in Singapore have done just that. They isolated one of the 21 suckerin proteins, then studied it with several techniques. They found that it melts when it’s heated, which makes it easy to mold and to reuse. But it doesn’t have to be mixed with other materials to maintain its strength.
There’s still a lot of work to be done in the lab before suckerin can have any practical use for anyone except a squid. But researchers say its combination of properties could make it a good material for several biomedical applications, such as forming a framework for growing artificial ligaments and other tissues — made possible by a scary squid.
