Enabling a future with nature at its forefront
Utilizing Mussel Sealants
SealXX is a new alternative material to plastics utilizing naturally-based proteins that undergo covalent bonding processes (the sharing of electrons between atoms).
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By using mussels found in the ocean or clung to piers at your local beach, we are utilizing the sealants produced by these mussels to make a completely new material.
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Mussels survive by planting themselves on surfaces where they can eat nearby plankton, algae, and bacteria. They do this by using their long, flexible byssus threads that are strands of protein, and at the end of the threads is a sticky and adhesive plaque that allows the mussels to stick onto things.
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By extending the plaque, they are able to stick to surfaces under the sea. Since the byssus thread is made out of proteins, they become vulnerable to microbes and other bacteria that allow them to degrade.
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In this way, the mussel secretes a gel-like fluid called the cuticle, acting like the sealant super-protector for the byssus threads. Its cuticles are 4–6 times harder than their core made up of the threads! Once the mussels are done feeding off a specific area, they release themselves from their threads and move on to their next location.
It takes 2–3 years, with the constant pounding of natural conditions or harsh underwater weather that causes the sealant to crack, and eventually, this allows microbes to purge the rich protein underneath it through the biodegradation process.
NATURE-CENTERED DESIGN
Using concepts of biomimicry and utilizing the biological components of mussels, our vision with SealXX is to build a sustainable lifestyle in a world without plastic reliance by mimicking protein-based natural processes.
BETTER FOR THE PLANET
We are creating a clear, sustainable way to make and use the products we love and use on a daily basis for years to come; ultimately avoiding environmental or health consequences.