What Is Geckel?

[Plenoptic 0]

Well if you take the stickiness of Gecko's feet that they use to climb up and down walls, and mix it with the glue like stuff mussels use to hold onto rocks and what not in the water, then you have Geckel. It's a new super glue in production, more like an adhesive that will be used for robots that explore underwater or other places. They will be able to climb rocks and walls. It can be used to stick on the wall and pulled off 1000 times before losing it's stickiness. The glue will also be able to close up wounds, and it'll be waterproof/liquid proof so if it's still bleeding maybe it'll close it up like stitches. They originally made it like gecko hairs to make it really strong, but they wanted it to be waterproof so they mimicked the proteins of the mussel stickiness, which reduced the strength of the adhesive but it still works great.

I wonder if that means we will be able to climb up walls or if it won't work on our own skin. That'd be pretty cool though, you'd be able to climb up and get all the stuck balls on the roof of the gym. I kind of doubt it'd be able to be used by us though because it could take a lot of strength to rip our hands off the wall and what if it pulls off our skin instead? Could be dangerous. Still seems really interesting despite the fact though and could be put to great use.

Link to the Article: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

[sitesmakers 0]

Well if you take the stickiness of Gecko's feet that they use to climb up and down walls, and mix it with the glue like stuff mussels use to hold onto rocks and what not in the water, then you have Geckel. It's a new super glue in production, more like an adhesive that will be used for robots that explore underwater or other places. They will be able to climb rocks and walls. It can be used to stick on the wall and pulled off 1000 times before losing it's stickiness. The glue will also be able to close up wounds, and it'll be waterproof/liquid proof so if it's still bleeding maybe it'll close it up like stitches. They originally made it like gecko hairs to make it really strong, but they wanted it to be waterproof so they mimicked the proteins of the mussel stickiness, which reduced the strength of the adhesive but it still works great.
I wonder if that means we will be able to climb up walls or if it won't work on our own skin. That'd be pretty cool though, you'd be able to climb up and get all the stuck balls on the roof of the gym. I kind of doubt it'd be able to be used by us though because it could take a lot of strength to rip our hands off the wall and what if it pulls off our skin instead? Could be dangerous. Still seems really interesting despite the fact though and could be put to great use.

Link to the Article: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

i never never read the yahoo page . the news sucks ..One million words cant be the same what the eye see

[hitmanblood 0]

Hmmm interesting invention however if they would research it some more they could make it, this is just idea, electrically stimulated because if you let current trough it then it would stick when you close current that is curent is no more flowing then you would be able to move it that is it would not be sticked to the wall anymore, or vice verse of course. Also if this would be invented or added on this invention then even humans could use it with much less strenght needed then in the first place.

[MotU2510 0]

That really is fascinating. The applications of such a glueing method are quite endless.

BTW, the link at the top doesn't work any more. It would seem that Yahoo! has removed it's article on Geckel. Please use either
http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/
or
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/searcharticles?keywords=footler

Edited October 5, 2007 by MotU2510 (see edit history)

[kuberan_swe 1]

Oh thats a really amazing information. Very nice to read the post.

[mahirharoon 0]

i had read it in my local newspaper

[crazyfray 0]

I do wonder, though, how easy it will be to unstick things! According to one of my friends who works there as a nurse, we have enough problems with muppets coming into the ER (or whatever we call it in England, hehe) at our hospital with their hands superglued to themselves as it is.

Also, did anyone see the bit in the science central article that MotU kindly provided where they are testing Geckos' pulling power by:

They created a small piece of tape-- about the size of a dime-- and put it to the test against an actual gecko.
The geckos are tested on a vertical plate with a harness. Researchers record how much weight can it support on a surface before it starts slipping.
"The geckos are actually tested on a vertical plate," he explains. "We put a little harness on this and we pull at it until it starts sliding. And we record how much weight can it support on that glass piece, or any other substrate we want to test it on. And that number typically, which has been measured by previous researchers in this field, is about 10 newtons per centimeter square for a Tokay gecko."

...?

Oh my. Seems a little harsh on the poor fellas. Hope they don't pull too hard - I have images in my head of Geckos in a pile on the floor after being 'used up'.

[sheepdog 10]

That is just pretty cool. The story to the link isn't working anymore though. Amazing how they keep comming up with new ways to make life a sticky situation. From what I have read in the past, one of our more popular stickys, Post It notes were actually made by accident. Just one thing troubles me about this one though. I hope it is for real, and not that crazy car insurance company just trying to get promotion and news attention on their friendly little Gecko.......