The U.S. Navy is developing weaponized, synthetic slime to stop enemy vessels on their journeys, inspired by the real life hagfish. The hagfish fills its potential attackers’ mouths and gills with goo. When the slime comes in contact with sea water, it swells to up to 10,000 times its initial volume. "Researchers have called the hagfish slime one of the most unique biomaterials known," said Materials Engineer and co-creator of the slime, Ryan Kincer. "From a tactical standpoint, it would be interesting to have a material that can change the properties of the water at dilute concentrations in a matter of seconds."
Hagfish slime is composed of two protein-based parts: a thread and a mucin. The coiled thread behaves like a spring, and unravels when it contacts the water. It’s a material with properties not unlike spider silk or the human-made Kevlar, which is currently used as a reinforcing agent in protective gear and rubber products. When the hagfish releases the slime, the mucin binds to the water, constraining the flow between the channels created by the thread dispersion. “The interaction between the thread, mucin, and seawater creates a three-dimensional, viscoelastic network. Over time, the thread begins to collapse on itself, causing the slime to slowly dissipate.” said Kincer .
Kincer and biochemist Josh Kogot are creating the human-made version, which is designed to stop suspicious or enemy boats by clogging up their propellers. Currently, the Navy stops boats by a plastic rope with a pneumatic launcher, designed to tangle in the boat’s propeller, which can be risky and inefficient. According to Kogot, "the synthetic hagfish slime may be used for ballistics protection, firefighting, anti-fouling, diver protection, or anti-shark spray. The possibilities are endless.”
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(source: U.S. Navy)
Laura Yan is a writer in Brooklyn. Her writing has appeared in Wired, GQ, The Cut, Pacific Standard, Longreads, The Outline, and elsewhere.