Gooey solution to a sticky problem

Researchers in Japan have extracted a new, gooey, and potentially useful protein from the bodies of jellyfish. The sugar-laden molecule, a member of the mucin family, is similar to proteins found in human mucus and other natural lubricants and protective coatings.

Booming jellyfish populations have caused serious problems in waters around Japan and elsewhere, as the animals’ bodies have tangled with ships’ propellers and clogged coolant lines in coastal power plants.