Sum17 Navy Mimics Hagfish Slime to Support the Warfighter...The hagfish (scientific name Myxini) is...

Navy Mimics

summer 2017 Currents 5

Warfighter

Slithering along the bottom of the ocean, a long, flat fish navigates thesea floor. Resembling an eel with its long grey body and paddle-like

tail, it moves smoothly and fluidly, examining a sunken lureplaced there by researchers. As the sinuous fish explores its

find, a kitefin shark lurks nearby, circling the smalleranimal intently. The shark approaches its prey, hovering

within striking distance and suddenly lunges out,grasping its victim in its jaws. Almost instanta-

neously, a murky cloud engulfs the shark’smouth, causing the predator to wretch and

release its target. The shark swims off,discouraged, leaving its prospective

dinner relatively unscathed.

Eel-like Creature Inspires Naval Surface Warfare Center

Researchers to Innovate

inspired by the defense mechanism of the Pacific hagfish, scientists from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) haveproduced a synthetic version of hagfish slime to support Navy warfighters.

to Support the

6 Currents summer 2017

for food, providing a crucial service to the ecosystem byessentially cleaning dead creatures from the sea floor.That said, its feeding habits can be unsettling to casualobservers. A hagfish will essentially tear a hole into thedead animal—often tying its own body into a knot togain additional leverage and generate force in biting—andthen proceed to bury themselves in the hole, tunnelinginside the animal and consuming it from the inside out.After eating, it can go for months until its next meal. Itsslow metabolism and ability to absorb nutrients throughits skin and gills appear to enable this substantial timebetween feedings.

Due to its loose skin, a hagfish is capable of slidingthrough tight spaces, even able to slip through a gap half its body width. The skin is connected to the fish’sbody in a line down the center of its back and provides

The nearly preyed-upon animal is the hagfish, and it justintroduced the shark to its exceedingly effective defensemechanism. The hagfish deters would-be predators byreleasing a secretion that forms a thick slime—clogging themouth and gills of the attacker. This allows the hagfish toescape as the attacker chokes and retreats. While scientistshave known of this capability for decades, they’ve onlyrecently begun to document and observe the capabilities ofthe hagfish with video recordings and tests.

With these data, researchers have gained insights on thehagfish, its slime, and future practical applications forscience, medicine and/or military functions. In particular,the Navy is exploring ways in which the properties ofhagfish slime could benefit Sailors, Marines and naval plat-forms on land and at sea.

UGLY, SPINELESS & FORMIDABLE

The hagfish (scientific name Myxini) is a spineless, jawless,virtually blind fish that resides along the sea floor. Despitethe lack of actual vertebrae, it does technically have aspine made of cartilage. Occasionally called “slime eels”and frequently referred to as one of the ugliest fish on theplanet, the hagfish inhabits cold waters all over the globe,and can live as deep as 5,500 feet. While it resembles aneel in appearance, it actually belongs to the class Agnatha,which encompasses fish that lack jaws.

With 76 different species of hagfish, the appearance andsize can vary, although hagfish tend to grow to a length of16 to 40 inches (40 to 100 centimeters (cm)). The color ofeach fish depends on its species andlocation, with observed colorsincluding shades of grey, brown,pink, red, blue and white. Somehagfish can be spotted or mottled intheir coloring, and past observationsindicate that its coloring may bedetermined by the color of thesurrounding sea floor.

The hagfish typically consumes thecarcasses of other marine animals

The hagfish deters would-be predatorsby releasing a secretion that forms a thick slime—clogging the mouth and gills of the attacker.


flexibility for navigating narrow passageways andevading predators. It is possible for a predator topuncture the skin of a hagfish without stabbing intothe muscle underneath, providing the hagfish anopportunity to free itself with its unique defensemechanism.

SLIME TIME

The hagfish has proven adept at evading larger preda-tors such as marine mammals, sharks andcephalopods (octopus, squid). In less than a second, astressed hagfish can emit a coiled thread—known asa skein—which contains mucins and fine fibers. Onceejected, the skein rapidly expands when mixed withseawater. According to research conducted by Dr.Douglas Fudge and his colleagues at the University ofBritish Columbia’s Department of Zoology, thecompleted slime is comprised of 99.996 percentseawater, with the remaining components being themucins (0.0015 percent) and fiber threads (0.002percent). It’s considered to be 1,000 times moredilute than other known animal mucus secretions.Once the skeins are introduced into seawater, thematerial expands approximately 10,000 times in amatter of milliseconds.

Hagfish are eel-shaped, slime-producing marine fish.They are the only known living animals possessing a skullbut no vertebral column, although they possess a rudi-mentary spine composed of cartilage. Similar tolampreys, hagfish are jawless. Today’s hagfish remainssimilar to hagfish from over 300 million years ago.

Class: Agnatha

Family: Myxindae (all oceans); Eptatretidae (alloceans except the Northern Atlantic)

Clutch Size: 1 to 30 (dependent on species)

Length: 16 to 40 inches (40 to 100 cm)

Species: Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii )Black hagfish (Eptatretus deani )Gulf hagfish (Eptatretus springeri )Inshore hagfish (Eptatretus burgeri )New Zealand hagfish (Eptatretus cirrhatus )Patagonian hagfish (Myxine affinis )Cape hagfish (Myxine capensis )

Fun Fact: Hagfish Day, founded in 2009, is celebratedon the third Wednesday in October.

The Basics About the Hagfish

The hagfish is the only known animal that creates slimeby emitting skeins. Whereas other animals with similardefense mechanisms store liquid slime internally prior todischarge, the hagfish relies on the presence of seawatermixing with the skein filaments to choke and deterpredators. The mucin-fiber thread substance onlyaccounts for approximately three to four percent of thefish’s body mass.

To discharge the material, the hagfishhas 90 to 200 slime pores runningalong each side of its body. Whenattacked, the animal has the capa-bility to eject slime through a selec-tive grouping of pores which areclosest to the predator, or specificallywithin the attacker’s mouth.

Once the slime is dispelled, thepredator’s mouth and gills becomeobstructed and it flees. Rather than

binding or halting water entirely, the substance slows waterdramatically, acting like a sieve that prevents efficientbreathing. This is known as viscous entrainment. Ironically,the hagfish can actually choke on its own slime occasion-ally, but it has two strategies available to counteract thatpossibility. If necessary, it can tie its own body into a knot(much like it does when it feeds) and run the knot upalong its body to wring the material off itself. Additionally,the hagfish can “sneeze” to clear its breathing path.


Demonstrating the elasticity of the authentic Pacific hagfish slime.Ron Newsome

Once the skeins are introduced intoseawater, the material expands approximately 10,000 times in a matter of milliseconds.

Dr. Josh Kogot displays a sample of synthetic hagfish slime recreatedfrom alpha and gamma proteins of the Pacific hagfish. Ron Newsome


INITIAL RESEARCH

In 2014, NSWC PCD personnelfounded the Biotechnology InterestGroup (BIG), spearheaded bybiochemist Dr. Josh Kogot of the Intelli-gent Sensing and Irregular WarfareBranch. The group’s goal is to providethe Navy with innovative biotechnologyand bio-inspired solutions to complextechnical challenges with consistencyand quality by way of focused researchand development efforts.

Every month, BIG assembles a smallgroup of subject matter experts todiscuss current research and discusspossible bio-inspired and biomimetictopics to explore. In early 2015, Mr.Rudy Arrieta—a colleague of Dr.Kogot’s and a chemistry specialist—mentioned a video he had seen onthe defense mechanisms of thehagfish. After brainstorming anumber of possible naval applica-

NSWC PCD scientist and engineers, Dr. Josh Kogot, Dr. Michelle Kincer and Dr. Ryan Kincer,compare synthetic hagfish slime (left) and authentic Pacific hagfish slime (right). Ron Newsome

Naval Innovative Science andEngineering

The NISE program was founded in2009, and funds efforts in basicand applied research, technologytransition, workforce developmentand capital equipment invest-ment. Since the program wasestablished, it has supportednumerous projects with a focus onScience, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics (STEM). NISEprovides additional opportunitiesfor these technical fields, toinclude continuing education,rotational assignments and certifi-cations, and enables the Navy toinvest in aging infrastructures andequipment. Technical collabora-tion also serves as a key facet ofthe program, allowing warfarecenters the opportunity to functionin a collaborative manner andinteract with other industry andacademic experts.

Office of Naval Research

ONR is a pioneer in the publicsupport of science and technologyresearch that benefits both thenaval services and the nation.Founded in 1946, ONR invested insome of the earliest computers,spearheaded research into deepsea exploration and supportedcountless other groundbreakinginnovations throughout the years.The office maintains an organiza-tional strategy that enables invest-ment in technology focus areasthat will support future operationalconcepts, intending to equipSailors and Marines with tools tooperate effectively and safely.

For more information about ONR,visit www.onr.navy.mil.

tions, the group ultimately decided topursue an Innovation Cell (iCell)project to perform fundamentalapplied research with hagfish slimefor naval applications.

Along with Dr. Kogot, the coreresearch group includes Dr. RyanKincer (materials engineer), Dr.Michelle Kincer (materials engineer)and Mr. Preston Postl (microbiologist).Narrowing the field from the afore-mentioned variety of hagfish species,the team began examining the Pacifichagfish (Eptatretus stoutii), exploringthe capability of the slime to rapidlyexpand. Initial research focused onthe natural slime created by thehagfish, and was funded by the iCelland Navy Innovative Science andEngineering (NISE) division. Recog-nizing the unique characteristics andfast-acting capabilities of hagfishslime, NSWC PCD personnel sawvalue in harnessing its properties.

The SPONSORS


Dr. Ryan Kincer marvels at thehagfish’s distinctive mechanism.

“The hagfish is the only knownanimal that secretes fully formedintermediate filaments. While thehagfish filaments are oftencompared to spider silk, the spiderspins silk from a liquid precursor,” hesays. “Since the hagfish filament ispreformed inside specialized cellsalong the body, the release of thefilaments and mucin causes theslime to be formed instantaneously.This instantaneous expansion wasanother unique material propertythat intrigued us as other superabsorbing materials usually takeminutes to fully hydrate.”

Following the initial study on the natu-rally-produced material, the researchteam began to explore ways in whichhagfish slime could be syntheticallyreproduced for Navy use. After roughlysix months of research, the scientistsintroduced alpha and gamma proteinsdrawn from the Pacific hagfish to theEscherichia coli bacteria—commonlyknown as E.coli. Alpha proteins are akey plasma or blood protein that bindsto copper, nickel, fatty acids and othermaterials; and gamma proteins fallunder a class of spherical, globe-likeproteins which respond to antigenstimulation by forming into thecommon form of immunoglobins (i.e.antibodies). The proteins wereretrieved from the bacteria and run

We have had a number of successes early in our research, which has opened

our imagination to many more hypotheses and potential future applications.

—Dr. Josh Kogot

A hagfish protruding from a sponge.www.flickr.com/noaaphotolib

Ron Newsome


Dr. Kogot, Dr. Kincer and their NSWC PCD colleaguesrepresent a few of the many skilled and knowledge-able science and technology professionals in the Navy. Although there are abundant opportunities for scientists of their pedigree in the public sector, the Navy and the Department of Defense (DoD)continue to draw upon some of the best researcherson the planet.

Before joining the staff in Panama City, Dr. Kogot spentfive years at the Army Research Laboratory, focusingon basic and applied research. While there, he utilizedhis background in biochemistry to perform biomimicryand bio-mimicry research to develop new sensingtechnologies with peptides, created new protein engi-neering strategies and crafted novel biomaterials forbiosensing, bioelectronics and biophotonics.

“I excelled at transitioning and translating research inthe university laboratories to DoD-relevant technolo-gies,” said Dr. Kogot. “My goal upon arriving to NSWCPCD was to continue to transition promising basicresearch in biotechnology to mature the capabilitytowards a field-able product.”

Recognizing that biotechnology has great potential toprovide military personnel with a decisive battlefield

advantage, he focused on providing low-cost, light-weight and robust solutions.

“My affinity for working for the Navy and DoD is toprotect the warfighter and give them the advantage toreturn home safely,” continued Dr. Kogot. “There are anumber of people in my family that served or areserving in the military. I believe that using my skills andexpertise to protect my family members and fellow citi-zens is an honorable commitment.”

Dr. Ryan Kincer also identifies his work with the Navyas being particularly rewarding.

“As a research scientist, I’ve always had a profoundinterest in the newest technology and latest revolu-tionary materials,” he says. “Being a researcher for theNavy allows me to apply my passion for science to

help keep our warfighters equipped with the mostadvanced gear. I feel a sense of patriotism knowingthat the materials we are developing in the laboratorymay one day help on the battlefield.”

Dr. Ryan Kincer believes these science breakthroughsare integral in solving naval and defense-oriented chal-lenges. By contributing to these solutions, he findsconsiderable satisfaction in supporting the military.

Being a researcher for the Navy allows me to apply my passion for science to help keep our warfighters equipped with the most advanced gear.

—Dr. Ryan Kincer

A scientist’s Perspective: Why Go Navy?

through a series of isolation and purifi-cation processes. Following thosesteps, the proteins would ultimately becombined together, swiftly joined intoa crosslinked solution via centrifuge.

This solution was compared to thenaturally-occurring hagfish threads viaa scanning electron microscope,confirming synthetic reproduction ofthe material. While this was a signifi-cant achievement, the scientists

conducting these studies note thatthere is still a lot of work to be done.

“This is an ongoing research effortthat is still in its infancy—only 12 to18 months of active research at ourlaboratory,” says Dr. Kogot. “We havehad a number of successes early inour research, which has opened ourimagination to many morehypotheses and potential futureapplications.”

The work performed on generatingthe synthetic slime, as well as ongoingresearch and development efforts, hasbeen funded by the Office of NavalResearch (ONR).

USING THE SLIME

Having successfully created asynthetic version of the slime, NSWCPCD scientists continue to examineways in which the material can be


coatings used to prevent biofouling, the buildup ofmicroorganisms, animals and vegetation on wetsurfaces. The accumulation of barnacles, seaweed,mollusks and other stowaways on a hull can add weightand increase drag, which can result in up to a 10percent speed reduction. Biofouling can also impact fuelefficiency and potentially increase greenhouse gas emis-sions. Beyond the operational impacts, some anti-fouling materials can be harmful to the environment interms of water pollution and impacts to marine life.

mass-produced while seeking to identify potentialuses to the Navy. While development is early andnew possible utilizations are frequently poppingup, the team at NSWC PCD has a number of usesin mind.

“The potential applications that we envision areballistics protection, firefighting, anti-fouling prop-erties, diver protection and anti-shark spray,” saysDr. Kogot. “Our intended use is for non-lethal andnon-kinetic defense to protect the warfighter.”

In terms of ballistics protection, the Navy couldpursue the hypothesis posed by Dr. Fudge—now with Chapman University—that hagfishfilament could serve as a renewable sourcecapable of replacing synthetic, petroleum-basedmaterials. With petroleum being a key compo-nent in Kevlar, a material commonly used inmilitary combat helmets and ballistic vests,there is potential for synthetically-producedhagfish slime to be used in the development ofinnovative protective equipment.

Firefighting applications may be feasible based on theslime’s ability to absorb and retain water. Synthetic slimewith the same properties might be useful as a firesuppressant. Dr. Kincer notes that chemicals currentlyused for fire suppression frequently pose health and envi-ronmental concerns. The development of a slime-basedextinguishing system offers the possibility of an effective,environmentally-friendly alternative. Additionally, similarto ballistics protection, advancing theunderstanding and application of thisresearch could lend to the develop-ment of flame-resistant firefightinggear including suits and helmets.

Due to the slick nature of the slime,it may also hold promise for anti-fouling technology on Navy ships.Anti-fouling refers to materials and

The potential applications that we envision areballistics protection, firefighting, anti-fouling

properties, diver protection and anti-shark spray.—Dr. Josh Kogot


Pacific hagfish. Linda Snook

A synthetic coating derived from the slime couldprovide an eco-friendly substitute.

Dr. Kogot also mentioned diver protection and anti-shark spray—allowing Navy personnel to use syntheticslime much in the same way that the hagfish would.The NSWC PCD scientists and researchers posit thatindividuals could be equipped with technology thatcould dispense the manufactured filaments, mixingwith seawater to produce a protective slime to detersharks, cephalopods or any other marine life that mightpose a threat.

The unique qualities of hagfishslime could make it a true game-changer in marine technology. Dr.Kincer points out that the composi-tion of the material is an advantagefor the Navy, reiterating that theslime is made of over 99 percentseawater (and seawater is of courseabundantly available to Sailors atsea). This would allow for thesystems delivering the slime toremain compact and manageable—even a small amount of the sourcematerial could create large quanti-ties of slime in mere seconds, deliv-ering a powerful punch for itsintended purposes.

In addition to the future capabilitiesmentioned here, the research teamcontinues to investigate potentialdelivery systems, ways in which theycan increase the slime’s ability toattach to different surfaces andmethods to ensure its effectiveness ina variety of environments.

THE NAVY & BIOMIMETICS

Hagfish slime is far from the firstinstance of animals inspiring marinetechnologies and human solutions.

Sonar is one of the most noteworthyinstances of a biomimetic technologyused by the Navy. Improved under-standing of and insight on marinemammals, including whales and

Biomimicry (or biomimetics) is a methodology pertaining to technologyand infrastructure development that supports sustainable solutions tochallenges by emulating nature’s patterns and strategies. Whether innova-tion is spurred by an observed process in nature and translated to ahuman technology or approach, or an innovator identifies an existingshortcoming and turns to nature for inspiration, biomimicry connects thefields of biology and engineering.

Famous examples of biomimicry are abundant in everyday life. Velcro, forexample, was developed by Swiss scientist George de Mestral, whocrafted the material after observing how burrs latched onto his dog’s fur.Looking closer, he noted the tiny hooks at the end of burr’s prongs, whichinspired de Mestral to develop hooked material opposite tiny loopedweaves to create this adhesive material. Japanese engineers have lookedto the beak of the Kingfisher bird to design a more streamlined high-speed train, whichincreases speed, reducesfuel energy requirementsand eliminates shockwaves in tunnels previ-ously created by thetrains’ more blunted nose.In additional these exam-ples, a number of novelcooling systems, solartechnologies, prostheticsand camouflage applica-tions have all drawn theirinspiration from animalsand biological processes.

For more information on biomimetics and the ways in which humansbenefit from nature’s efficiencies, visit https://biomimicry.org.

What is Biomimicry?


Each of these instances of biomimicry has provided tactical and operational

advantages, and the Navy continues pursuingnew opportunities in this vein.

Kkomjangeo bokkeum (꼼장어볶음),Korean stir-fried fish dish made with hagfish.

To make your own colored, glittered or jumbo size slime, mix 1/2 table-spoon (tbsp.) of baking soda, 1 tbsp. of contact lens solution, 4 fluidounces of Elmer’s White school glue, and your choice of food coloring orvisit elmers.com/Slime.

dolphins, as well as bats, and evencicadas has helped naval researchersbuild upon sonar systems that previ-ously evolved in nature. Additionally,the efforts have aided in improvingunderstanding of marine life,expanding the knowledge of howthese animals are affected by Navyactivities as well as how those effectscan be mitigated.

In recent years, ONR has also recog-nized unique attributes of sharks,inspiring their laboratories to mimicshark skin. Shark skin is coveredwith flexible layers of small teeth—known as dermal denticles—whichcreate a low-pressure zone thatpropels the shark forward andreduces drag. The denticles alsoprevent microorganisms fromattaching to the predators. Theserealizations prompted ONR todevelop a material known asSharklet which prevents biofoulingand reduces drag for ships andsubmarines.

Autonomous underwater vehicles(AUV) have also benefited fromnature’s sleek designs, with theNaval Research Laboratory taking acue from the bird wrasse fish. Oneparticular AUV—known as theWrasse-inspired Agile Near-shoreDeformable-fin Automaton(WANDA)—was equipped with apectoral fin, similar to its namesake,which allows it to operate in littoralzones that require low speeds andhigh maneuverability.

Make Your Own SlimE


Each of these instances of biomimicry has providedtactical and operational advantages, and the Navycontinues pursuing new opportunities in this vein.

“We are continually looking to expand the bio-inspiredand biomimetic research as part of the mission andongoing research of the biotechnology group,” explainsDr. Kogot. “One of my ongoing basic research projectsinvolves recreating the electro-sensing capability ofsharks, skates and rays using microfluidics, materialscience and electrochemistry.Sharks, skates and rays have ahighly-developed electrosensingcapability through a series ofcanals and pores on the animalbody called the Ampullae deLorenzini. Using different canallengths and canal diameters, theanimal can sense long-range elec-tric field changes or sense smallperturbations in electric field atshort-range. Most of these capa-bilities are intended for use inprey detection or environmentalsensing.”

Dr. Kogot also references ongoingand forthcoming projectspertaining to biodegradable, three-dimensionally printed materials,whole-cell sensors and bioelec-tronics. “Our cross-disciplinaryresearch team of biochemists,chemists, material engineers,microbiologists and electrical engi-neers positions us well to docutting-edge, biotechnologyresearch,” he said.

CONCLUSION

The hagfish proves often that it isnot an easy meal for predators,and its resilience offers the Navya great deal to think about interms of defense and operationalbest practices. Having achievedan extraordinary breakthrough inmanufacturing the syntheticslime, NSWC PCD scientists

continue to delve into the pragmatic capabilities of thisunique material. From body armor and firefighting, toanti-fouling and shark repellant, the possibilities holdgreat promise for the Navy and its researchers. �Jacqui BarkerNaval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division850-636-6168DSN: [email protected]

NSWC PCD is one of ten Navy warfare center enterprises located throughoutthe United States. These centers supply the technical operations, people,technology, engineering services and products needed to equip and supportthe Fleet and meet the warfighters’ needs. Serving as the Department of theNavy’s principal research,development, test and eval-uation assessment activitiesfor surface ship and subma-rine systems and subsys-tems, NSWCs supportoffensive and defensivesystems associated withsurface warfare and relatedareas of joint, homelandand national defensesystems from the sea.

The mission of NSWC PCD isto conduct research, devel-opment, test and evaluation,in-service support of minewarfare systems, mines,naval special warfaresystems, diving and lifesupport systems,amphibious/expeditionarymaneuver warfare systemsand other systems that occur primarily in coastal regions and to execute otherresponsibilities as assigned by Commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center. Itexists to understand the technical dimensions of warfighter requirements, tocollaborate with industry, academia and other warfare centers, to developsolutions and to certify that safe and effective solutions are achieved.

For more information on NSWC PCD, visit www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Panama-City.

The Basics About the Naval Surface Warfare CenterPanama City Division

Sum17 Navy Mimics Hagfish Slime to Support the Warfighter...The hagfish (scientific name Myxini) is...

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