Researchers at Indiana University in Bloomington and Brown University in Providence, R.I., studied how much force they needed to tug the tiny, stalked Caulobacter crescentus off a glass plate. As the researchers reported in the Apr. 11, 2006, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the bacteria grip with a force of 70 newtons per square millimeter--roughly 5 tons per square inch--or equivalent to the downward force exerted by three cars balancing on a spot the size of a quarter. While the researchers do not yet know if the substance is the strongest glue on Earth, it is stronger than cyanoacrylate superglues found on store shelves and may be rivaled only by a few synthetics.
Several NSF programs have supported the research. Funding for this study came from the Division of Materials Research in the Mathematics and Physical Sciences Directorate.
Additional information is available in the Indiana University press release linked below.
Media Contacts: Joshua Chamot, NSF, (703) 292-7730, jchamot@nsf.gov
David Bricker, Indiana University, (812) 856-9035, brickerd@indiana.edu
Wendy Lawton, Brown University, (401) 863-1862, Wendy_Lawton@brown.edu
NSF-PR 06-060
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