Sea cucumber stiffness-changing tissue: uses in research

Also: catch connective tissue, mutable collagenous tissue

Sea cucumbers can switch their skin from soft to stiff in seconds. This inspired materials that change stiffness on demand, such as softening brain implants.

Readiness: lab lab studies · prototype demonstrated objects · commercial products or buildings in real use · review summaries of other studies.

materials science

lab materials science 2008

Sea cucumber-inspired nanocomposite

Capadona and colleagues made a polymer composite that switches between stiff and soft when wetted, inspired by sea cucumber dermis.

Built / tested: stiffness-changing composite

As reported in: Capadona, Shanmuganathan, Tyler et al. (2008). Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Nanocomposites Inspired by the Sea Cucumber Dermis. Science. doi:10.1126/science.1153307

Abstract only