title: Structural and compositional characterization of the adhesive produced by reef building oysters.
abstract: Oysters have an impressive ability to overcome difficulties of life within the stressful intertidal zone. These shellfish produce an adhesive for attaching to each other and building protective reef communities. With their reefs often exceeding kilometers in length, oysters play a major role in balancing the health of coastal marine ecosystems. Few details are available to describe oyster adhesive composition or structure. Here several characterization methods were applied to describe the nature of this material. Microscopy studies indicated that the glue is comprised of organic fiber-like and sheet-like structures surrounded by an inorganic matrix. Phospholipids, cross-linking chemistry, and conjugated organics were found to differentiate this adhesive from the shell. Symbiosis in material synthesis could also be present, with oysters incorporating bacterial polysaccharides into their adhesive. Oyster glue shows that an organic-inorganic composite material can provide adhesion, a property especially important when constructing a marine ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, United States.
authors.forename: Erik M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Alberts
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, United States.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: ‡Life Science Microscopy Facility, Purdue University, 170 South University Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Debra M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: ‡Life Science Microscopy Facility, Purdue University, 170 South University Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Chia-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: §Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, University of South Carolina, PO Box 1630, Georgetown, South Carolina 29442, United States.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, United States.|∥School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, 701 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2045, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wilker
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry*; D060105:Animal Shells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D057894:Coral Reefs; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives
keywords: adhesive; biomineralization; interface; oyster; reef