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Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation
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Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 12685

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tiago H. Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
3B's Research Group, I3Bs – Researcin Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Avepark – Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: marine inspired biomaterials; marine biomimetics; marine natural products; tissue engineering; nanomedicine; biorefineries and circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Patrick Flammang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons - UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
Interests: marine biology; adhesion; zoology; marine biodiversity; ecology and evolution; functional morphology; marine biomimetics; biotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oceans have always been an unknown realm, but also an inspiration for human creativity. Marine organisms, for example, beyond their consumption as food, can be used as sources of compounds and materials. In this regard, examples are found in marine shells used in construction or agriculture, extracted biopolymers as food, cosmetics or biomedical additives, and secondary metabolites used as new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), among many others. Nevertheless, the potential of marine resources goes beyond this raw-material provider, and the rich biological architectures and phenomena in the ocean provide inspiration for the exploration of new materials and functionalities. Biomimetics is gaining attention as an emerging technology, and an increasing number of advanced studies have been published on structures based on the morphological features of marine glass sponges or seahorses, on adhesives inspired by mussels, on robots inspired by the movement of jellyfish, on sportswear mimicking fish skin, or on the development of anticancer strategies based on the reduced incidence of tumors in sharks, to name just a few.

This Special Issue aims to collect novel research articles and review articles focusing on marine organisms as an inspiration for the design of innovative biomedical applications and smart materials. A particular focus is given to functional properties arising from complex hierarchical architectures.

Dr. Tiago H. Silva
Prof. Dr. Patrick Flammang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Adhesives
  • Architectures
  • Biomedicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Tissue engineering
  • Functional materials
  • Robotics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4444 KiB  
Article
Development of a Novel Marine-Derived Tricomposite Biomaterial for Bone Regeneration
by Bilal Aslam, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Susan A. Clarke and Helena McMahon
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(9), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21090473 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1689
Abstract
Bone tissue engineering is a promising treatment for bone loss that requires a combination of porous scaffold and osteogenic cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate and develop a tricomposite, biomimetic scaffold consisting of marine-derived biomaterials, namely, chitosan and fucoidan with [...] Read more.
Bone tissue engineering is a promising treatment for bone loss that requires a combination of porous scaffold and osteogenic cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate and develop a tricomposite, biomimetic scaffold consisting of marine-derived biomaterials, namely, chitosan and fucoidan with hydroxyapatite (HA). The effects of chitosan, fucoidan and HA individually and in combination on the proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were investigated. According to the SEM results, the tricomposite scaffold had a uniform porous structure, which is a key requirement for cell migration, proliferation and vascularisation. The presence of HA and fucoidan in the chitosan tricomposite scaffold was confirmed using FTIR, which showed a slight decrease in porosity and an increase in the density of the tricomposite scaffold compared to other formulations. Fucoidan was found to inhibit cell proliferation at higher concentrations and at earlier time points when applied as a single treatment, but this effect was lost at later time points. Similar results were observed with HA alone. However, both HA and fucoidan increased MSC mineralisation as measured by calcium deposition. Differentiation was significantly enhanced in MSCs cultured on the tricomposite, with increased alkaline phosphatase activity on days 17 and 25. In conclusion, the tricomposite is biocompatible, promotes osteogenesis, and has the structural and compositional properties required of a scaffold for bone tissue engineering. This biomaterial could provide an effective treatment for small bone defects as an alternative to autografts or be the basis for cell attachment and differentiation in ex vivo bone tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation)
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21 pages, 2727 KiB  
Article
Glycoproteins Involved in Sea Urchin Temporary Adhesion
by Inês Ventura, Victoria Harman, Robert J. Beynon and Romana Santos
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(3), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21030145 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2205
Abstract
Biomedical adhesives, despite having been used increasingly in recent years, still face a major technological challenge: strong adhesion in wet environments. In this context, biological adhesives secreted by marine invertebrates have appealing characteristics to incorporate into new underwater biomimetic adhesives: water resistance, nontoxicity [...] Read more.
Biomedical adhesives, despite having been used increasingly in recent years, still face a major technological challenge: strong adhesion in wet environments. In this context, biological adhesives secreted by marine invertebrates have appealing characteristics to incorporate into new underwater biomimetic adhesives: water resistance, nontoxicity and biodegradability. Little is still known about temporary adhesion. Recently, a transcriptomic differential analysis of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus tube feet pinpointed 16 adhesive/cohesive protein candidates. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the adhesive secreted by this species is composed of high molecular weight proteins associated with N-Acetylglucosamine in a specific chitobiose arrangement. As a follow-up, we aimed to investigate which of these adhesive/cohesive protein candidates were glycosylated through lectin pulldowns, protein identification by mass spectroscopy and in silico characterization. We demonstrate that at least five of the previously identified protein adhesive/cohesive candidates are glycoproteins. We also report the involvement of a third Nectin variant, the first adhesion-related protein to be identified in P. lividus. By providing a deeper characterization of these adhesive/cohesive glycoproteins, this work advances our understanding of the key features that should be replicated in future sea urchin-inspired bioadhesives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation)
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18 pages, 7183 KiB  
Article
Structure and Composition of the Cuticle of the Goose Barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes: A Flexible Composite Biomaterial
by Mariana Almeida, Emanuel M. Fernandes, Catarina F. Marques, Flávia C. M. Lobo, Rita O. Sousa, Rui L. Reis and Tiago H. Silva
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21020096 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2801
Abstract
Arthropods, the largest animal phylum, including insects, spiders and crustaceans, are characterized by their bodies being covered primarily in chitin. Besides being a source of this biopolymer, crustaceans have also attracted attention from biotechnology given their cuticles’ remarkable and diverse mechanical properties. The [...] Read more.
Arthropods, the largest animal phylum, including insects, spiders and crustaceans, are characterized by their bodies being covered primarily in chitin. Besides being a source of this biopolymer, crustaceans have also attracted attention from biotechnology given their cuticles’ remarkable and diverse mechanical properties. The goose barnacle, Pollicipes pollicipes, is a sessile crustacean characterized by their body parts covered with calcified plates and a peduncle attached to a substrate covered with a cuticle. In this work, the composition and structure of these plates and cuticle were characterized. The morphology of the tergum plate revealed a compact homogeneous structure of calcium carbonate, a typical composition among marine invertebrate hard structures. The cuticle consisted of an outer zone covered with scales and an inner homogenous zone, predominantly organic, composed of successive layers parallel to the surface. The scales are similar to the tergum plate and are arranged in parallel and oriented semi-vertically. Structural and biochemical characterization confirmed a bulk composition of ɑ-chitin and suggested the presence of elastin-based proteins and collagen. The mechanical properties of the cuticle showed that the stiffness values are within the range of values described in elastomers and soft crustacean cuticles resulting from molting. The removal of calcified components exposed round holes, detailed the structure of the lamina, and changed the protein properties, increasing the rigidity of the material. This flexible cuticle, predominantly inorganic, can provide bioinspiration for developing biocompatible and mechanically suitable biomaterials for diverse applications, including in tissue engineering approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation)
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16 pages, 3000 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Assembly of Neutral Marine Polysaccharides into Electrostatic-Driven Layer-by-Layer Bioassemblies by Chemical Functionalization
by Luís P. G. Monteiro, João Borges, João M. M. Rodrigues and João F. Mano
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(2), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21020092 - 27 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
Marine-origin polysaccharides, in particular cationic and anionic ones, have been widely explored as building blocks in fully natural or hybrid electrostatic-driven Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assemblies for bioapplications. However, the low chemical versatility imparted by neutral polysaccharides has been limiting their assembly into LbL biodevices, [...] Read more.
Marine-origin polysaccharides, in particular cationic and anionic ones, have been widely explored as building blocks in fully natural or hybrid electrostatic-driven Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assemblies for bioapplications. However, the low chemical versatility imparted by neutral polysaccharides has been limiting their assembly into LbL biodevices, despite their wide availability in sources such as the marine environment, easy functionality, and very appealing features for addressing multiple biomedical and biotechnological applications. In this work, we report the chemical functionalization of laminarin (LAM) and pullulan (PUL) marine polysaccharides with peptides bearing either six lysine (K6) or aspartic acid (D6) amino acids via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition to synthesize positively and negatively charged polysaccharide-peptide conjugates. The successful conjugation of the peptides into the polysaccharide’s backbone was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and the positive and negative charges of the LAM-K6/PUL-K6 and LAM-D6/PUL-D6 conjugates, respectively, were assessed by zeta-potential measurements. The electrostatic-driven LbL build-up of either the LAM-D6/LAM-K6 or PUL-D6/PUL-K6 multilayered thin film was monitored in situ by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, revealing the successful multilayered film growth and the enhanced stability of the PUL-based film. The construction of the PUL-peptide multilayered thin film was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and its biocompatibility was demonstrated in vitro towards L929 mouse fibroblasts. The herein proposed approach could enable the inclusion of virtually any kind of small molecules in the multilayered assemblies, including bioactive moieties, and be translated into more convoluted structures of any size and geometry, thus extending the usefulness of neutral polysaccharides and opening new avenues in the biomedical field, including in controlled drug/therapeutics delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation)
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Graphical abstract

23 pages, 9704 KiB  
Article
Sticking Together an Updated Model for Temporary Adhesion
by Philip Bertemes, Alexandra L. Grosbusch, Anik Geschwindt, Bob Kauffmann, Willi Salvenmoser, Birte Mertens, Robert Pjeta, Bernhard Egger and Peter Ladurner
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(6), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20060359 - 27 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3046
Abstract
Non-parasitic flatworms are known to temporarily attach to the substrate by secreting a multicomponent bioadhesive to counteract water movements. However, to date, only species of two higher-level flatworm taxa (Macrostomorpha and Proseriata) have been investigated for their adhesive proteins. Remarkably, the surface-binding protein [...] Read more.
Non-parasitic flatworms are known to temporarily attach to the substrate by secreting a multicomponent bioadhesive to counteract water movements. However, to date, only species of two higher-level flatworm taxa (Macrostomorpha and Proseriata) have been investigated for their adhesive proteins. Remarkably, the surface-binding protein is not conserved between flatworm taxa. In this study, we sequenced and assembled a draft genome, as well as a transcriptome, and generated a tail-specific positional RNA sequencing dataset of the polyclad Theama mediterranea. This led to the identification of 15 candidate genes potentially involved in temporary adhesion. Using in situ hybridisation and RNA interference, we determined their expression and function. Of these 15 genes, 4 are homologues of adhesion-related genes found in other flatworms. With this work, we provide two novel key components on the flatworm temporary adhesion system. First, we identified a Kringle-domain-containing protein (Tmed-krg1), which was expressed exclusively in the anchor cell. This in silico predicted membrane-bound Tmed-krg1 could potentially bind to the cohesive protein, and a knockdown led to a non-adhesive phenotype. Secondly, a secreted tyrosinase (Tmed-tyr1) was identified, which might crosslink the adhesive proteins. Overall, our findings will contribute to the future development of reversible synthetic glues with desirable properties for medical and industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Biomimetics as a Tool for Innovation)
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