Inspired by nature, Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers are looking at the Dusky Arion Slug's defensive and elastic slime as an alternative to the sutures and staples used in surgery.

The drawbacks of using sutures and staples to close wounds and incisions are many. Sutures can be time consuming, often resulting in expensive procedures, while staples can cause tissue damage, which can also result in infection. Likewise, the sutures and staples are not waterproof.

However, the slime from the slug, which makes it possible for the slug to adhere to surfaces, is 97 percent water and the inspiration for a hydrogel created by the team.

The hydrogel can stretch without breaking, can conform and adhere to skin, cartilage and arteries and can close holes in heart tissue, among other functions.