Could Caddisfly Silk Be Used to Make Waterproof Band-Aids?

“Like silkworm moths, butterflies and spiders, caddisfly larvae spin silk, but they do so underwater instead on dry land. Now, University of Utah researchers have discovered why the fly’s silk is sticky when wet and how that may make it valuable as an adhesive tape during surgery.” And here I thought caddis were just great trout food. Waterproof Band-Aids? Russell Stewart is an associate professor of bioengineering and principal author of a new study to unravel the mystery of what makes a caddisflies’ silk sticky underwater, a property that makes it very unique and could someday lead to the development [...]

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