Surface characterization of mussel adhesive protein films

Abstract

Mussel adhesive protein (MAP) from the marine mussel Mytilus edulis is considered to be responsible for attaching it to surfaces in its native environment. The isolated and partially purified form of MAP, marketed as «Cell-Tak TM » (BioPolymers, Inc:, Farmington, CT), is currently being used as an in vitro aid for attachment of cells to culture vessels. The collective results reported here indicate that Cell-Tak TM binds strongly to clean germanium plates, serving as surrogate substrata for those found in many natural situations