ENBA

ENBA

European Network of Bioadhesion Expertise. Running since 2016.

ENBA is part of the COST network (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), uniting experts in the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and engineering the study biological adhesion.

Bioadhesives are produced by a vast variety of animals: the salamander Ambystoma opacum, the snail Helix pomatia, the bobtail squid Idiosepius biserialisMytilus mussels and many more. Also plants rely on the secretion of adhesives, most noticeably in the sticky traps of carnivorous plants. Knowledge about these materials in terms of composition, structural design and interactions with surfaces is necessary to reveal the basic biochemical and mechanical principles involved in biological adhesion. The aim is to find adhesives which are not only equal to or better than common synthetically produced glues, but also distinguish themselves through better biocompatibility.