Comparative Animal Mucomics: Inspiration for Functional Materials from Ubiquitous and Understudied Biopolymers

• DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00713
• Publication Date: 2020-08-25T00:17:37Z
• Authors: Antonio R. Cerullo; Tsoi Ying Lai; Bassem Allam; Alexander Baer; W. Jon P. Barnes; Zaidett Barrientos; Dimitri D. Deheyn; Douglas S. Fudge; John Gould; Matthew J. Harrin...; Mandë Holford; Chia-Suei Hung; Gaurav Jain; Georg Mayer; Mónica Medina; Julian Monge-Nájera; Tanya Napolitano; Emmanuelle Pales ...; Stephan Schmidt; Eric M. Thompson; Adam B. Braunschweig
• Keywords: Structure function

The functions of secreted animal mucuses are remarkably diverse and include lubricants, wet adhesives, protective barriers, mineralizing agents. Although present in all animals, many open questions related to the hierarchical architectures, material properties, genetics mucus remain. Here, we summarize what is known about structure, describe work research groups throughout world who investigating various mucuses, relate how these studies revealing new properties relationships between structure hydrogel function. Finally, call for a more systematic approach studying so that data sets can be compared, omics-style, address unanswered emerging field mucomics. One major result anticipate from efforts design rules creating materials inspired by structures mucuses.