Author
Listed:
- Ziliang Kang
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Johanna A. Gomez
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Alisa MeiShan Ross
(Harvard Medical School)
- Ameya R. Kirtane
(Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Minnesota)
- Ming Zhao
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School)
- Yubin Cai
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Fu Xing Chen
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Corona L. Chen
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Isaac Diaz Becdach
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)
- Rajib Dey
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School)
- Andrei Russel Ismael
(Harvard Medical School)
- Injoo Moon
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Yiyuan Yang
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Benjamin N. Muller
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)
- Mehmet Girayhan Say
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Andrew Pettinari
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Jason Kobrin
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Joshua Morimoto
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Ted Smierciak
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Aaron Lopes
(Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Ayten Ebru Erdogan
(Harvard Medical School)
- Matt Murphy
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Niora Fabian
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Ashley Guevara
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Benedict Laidlaw
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Kailyn Schmidt
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Alison M. Hayward
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Alexandra H. Techet
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Christopher P. Kenaley
(Boston College)
- Giovanni Traverso
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)
Abstract
Achieving long-term underwater adhesion to dynamic, regenerating soft substrates that undergo extreme fluctuations in pH and moisture remains a major unresolved challenge, with far-reaching implications for healthcare, manufacturing, robotics and marine applications1–16. Here, inspired by remoras—fish equipped with specialized adhesive discs—we developed the Mechanical Underwater Soft Adhesion System (MUSAS). Through detailed anatomical, behavioural, physical and biomimetic investigations of remora adhesion on soft substrates, we uncovered the key physical principles and evolutionary adaptations underlying their robust attachment. These insights guided the design of MUSAS, which shows extraordinary versatility, adhering securely to a wide range of soft substrates with varying roughness, stiffness and structural integrity. MUSAS achieves an adhesion-force-to-weight ratio of up to 1,391-fold and maintains performance under extreme pH and moisture conditions. We demonstrate its utility across highly translational models, including in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo settings, enabling applications such as ultraminiaturized aquatic kinetic temperature sensors, non-invasive gastroesophageal reflux monitoring, long-acting antiretroviral drug delivery and messenger RNA administration via the gastrointestinal tract.
Suggested Citation
Ziliang Kang & Johanna A. Gomez & Alisa MeiShan Ross & Ameya R. Kirtane & Ming Zhao & Yubin Cai & Fu Xing Chen & Corona L. Chen & Isaac Diaz Becdach & Rajib Dey & Andrei Russel Ismael & Injoo Moon & Y, 2025.
"Mechanical underwater adhesive devices for soft substrates,"
Nature, Nature, vol. 643(8074), pages 1271-1280, July.
Handle:
RePEc:nat:nature:v:643:y:2025:i:8074:d:10.1038_s41586-025-09304-4
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09304-4
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