Scientists uncover recipe for snail slime's tunable properties
German scientists have identified how snails engineer their slime: collagen and calcium work in tandem to tune its mechanical properties, according to a new paper in Science.
Snail mucus is mostly water, but it owes its slimy, viscous texture to mucins—glycoproteins—and complex carbohydrates. Its properties can be tailored for specific functions. In 2020, researchers found that combining mucus from the common garden snail with gold nanoparticles accelerated wound healing and showed anti-inflammatory effects in mice.
A 2023 study on garden snail slime identified three distinct types of secreted mucus: one that hydrates the skin, an adhesive glue, and a lubricant that helps the snail glide. The new study focuses on the grove snail, or lemon snail (Cepaea nemoralis), which secretes five kinds of mucus with distinct functions. These include a lubricant for locomotion, an adhesive mucus for sticking to surfaces, and a layer called the epiphragm, which the snail secretes during hibernation. The epiphragm contains calcite and seals the shell to protect against predators and harsh conditions.
The German team found that varying combinations of collagen and calcium produce the different mechanical behaviors. The work, reported by Ars Technica, provides a recipe for how snails achieve tunable slime, potentially guiding the design of synthetic materials with similarly adjustable properties.