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Team:ULB-Brussels/Project/Perspectives
From 2009.igem.org
GluColi: a future alternative to toxic glues?
Glue has become a material of everyday life but we have to know that common glues contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). These substances are air pollutants and toxic. [19] [20] [21] For example, cyanoacrylate commonly sold under trade names like super glue can cause various toxic issues depending on their precise composition, [22].
According to Yves Brun, Indiana University biologist, concerning Caulobacter crescentus’s glue: ”This natural, non-toxic glue [...], has the strongest adhesion force of any known natural material. Unlike commercial super glues, which are often toxic, it sticks well under water, even salt water, and, thus, has a wide range of potential applications ”, [13].
Indeed, succeeding in the production of our GluColi could offer a wide range of useful applications.
That could cover fields ranging from medical purposes to ship repairing and automotive or aeronautic industry.
Bone reconstructive surgery has lead to a large demand for bone graft, [26], [27]. Consequently, synthetic bone graft substitutes have been developped with mixed success and surgical acceptance. Bone engineering has still lots of challenges to cope with. Surgical adhesives are part of this field of research but toxic issues are sometimes reported. Looking for new adhesives is today of great interest [28]. In that, GluColi may play an interesting role.
