Synthetic Hydrogel Material Mimics Lobster Underbelly’s Stretch and Strength

A team of researchers at MIT who were inspired by the underbelly of lobsters recently fabricated a new kind of hydrogel-based material that is strong, stretchy, and can withstand a remarkable amount of wear and tear. These researchers took inspiration from lobsters because of the impressive characteristics of the thin membrane that lines its underbelly, found to be “the toughest known hydrogel in nature”. The membrane is strong enough to protect the lobster from harm but also flexible enough that it can swim with ease.

To begin fabricating a prototype, the researchers used a process called electrospinning, which uses electric charges to create thin nanofiber threads out of polymer solutions. These tiny fibers were then welded together into a film that was tested for strength, stretchiness, and fatigue resistance. After testing, the researchers found that the new films they had created were “50 times more fatigue-resistant than the conventional nanofibrous hydrogels”.

After reading a study from another researcher that revealed that the lobster membranes were constructed from layers in a spiral pattern, the team accordingly made another prototype. This new film with the spiraled layers performed very similarly to the lobster membrane it was hoping to emulate: very strong and stretchy, while also incredibly fatigue-resistant. The material, if able to be scaled up properly, could eventually be used to create artificial tissues.

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