/science/taxonomy/term/2257/all en /science/channels/news/green-polymers-inspired-biology-288474 <p>Æ»¹ûÒùÔº chemistry professor <a href="/chemistry/faculty/matthew-j-harrington">Matthew Harrington</a> is aiming to develop a renewable alternative to petrochemical plastics by mimicking the astonishing chemistry of the velvet worm – a creature that has made a name for itself through its projectile slime.</p> <p>Inhabiting the forest floors of Australia and South America, velvet worms catch their prey by shooting out a jet of liquid that rapidly thickens to a sticky gel before hardening into polymer fibres comparable in stiffness to nylon.</p> Thu, 02 Aug 2018 15:00:27 +0000 fergus.grieve@mcgill.ca 621641 at /science