Scientists spin the snotlike secretions of hagfish into threads

By Stephen Ornes

Web edition: January 14, 2013

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Scientist Atsuko Negishi holds a hagfish in one hand and its slime in the other. She studies the ooze in the lab of scientist David Fudge, far right.

Credit: Andra Zommers/University of Guelph

Big marine predators that try to snack on a hagfish get a nasty surprise. When threatened, the slender hagfish releases enough snotty goo to gag a shark.

Materials scientists from Douglas Fudge’s laboratory at the University of Guelph have now found a way to create strong, stretchy fibers from the slime. These might one day be used in parachutes, packing materials or even — if you’re brave enough to wear it — clothing. The researchers recently introduced the idea of making fabric from hagfish mucus.

Visit the new Science News for Kids website and read the full story: Strong and slimy