National Capital
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 16:51
Sea Worm Jaws Turn Out to Be “Bio-Metal” with Unusual Properties
Yesterday, 03:10
Marine worms from the nereid family are predators that hunt using powerful jaws. In the species Perinereis cultrifera, these jaws turned out to be particularly intriguing. Researchers from TU Wien and the University of Vienna studied them in detail and reached an unexpected conclusion: this is an example of “bio-metal”—a new class of natural materials.
The jaws are built from proteins and metal ions. At the tips, the concentration of metals is higher, making them harder and better adapted for biting and crushing prey. During nanoindentation (tiny-scale indentation), the material exhibited a size effect typical of metals: at smaller scales, it becomes stronger.
However, bio-metal differs from ordinary metals. It shows size-dependent elasticity, indicating a complex atomic-level structure. Scientists suggest that such materials may have emerged through long evolutionary processes, and now we can use this principle to create new artificial materials.
Sources:
- American Institute of Physics. "This ancient sea worm has “bio-metal” jaws unlike anything scientists have seen." ScienceDaily (July 16, 2026).
- Zelaya-Lainez L. et al. "“Bio-metals”: Ancient biological materials with nanoindentation size effects: Experiments and elements of manifold micromechanics." Biophysics Reviews (2026). DOI: 10.1063/5.0325367
Author: Maksim Aleksandrovich Erdyakov.
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