Search research articles

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Thermo-Rheological Memory of κ-Carrageenan Fluid Gels Formed under Flow.

Biomacromolecules·2026

Same author

Viscosity-Dependent Shrinkage Behavior of Flowable Resin Composites.

Polymers·2025

Same author

Photo-reversible amyloid nanoNETs for regenerative antimicrobial therapies.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Strain, substrate, and matrix selection for controlled growth of wood-fungi.

Soft matter·2025

Same author

Anisotropic Growth of Filamentous Fungi in Wood Hydrogel Composites Increases Mechanical Properties.

ACS applied bio materials·2025

Same author

Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Published on: September 26, 2016

Hagfish slime exudate stabilization and its effect on slime formation and functionality.

L J Böni¹, R Zurflüh¹, M Widmer¹

¹Department of Health Science and Technology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.

|June 17, 2017

Summary

Hagfish slime exudate stability was tested using two methods: citrate/PIPES buffer and oil. Both methods preserved slime functionality for 5 hours, but longer storage led to decreased function due to different breakdown mechanisms.

Keywords:

Exudate storage Hagfish slime Protein glue Stabilization Vesicle rupture

More Related Videos

Macro-Rheology Characterization of Gill Raker Mucus in the Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Macro-Rheology Characterization of Gill Raker Mucus in the Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Published on: July 10, 2020

Agarose Fluid Gels Formed by Shear Processing During Gelation for Suspended 3D Bioprinting

Agarose Fluid Gels Formed by Shear Processing During Gelation for Suspended 3D Bioprinting

Published on: May 26, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge

Published on: September 26, 2016

Macro-Rheology Characterization of Gill Raker Mucus in the Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Macro-Rheology Characterization of Gill Raker Mucus in the Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Published on: July 10, 2020

Agarose Fluid Gels Formed by Shear Processing During Gelation for Suspended 3D Bioprinting

Agarose Fluid Gels Formed by Shear Processing During Gelation for Suspended 3D Bioprinting

Published on: May 26, 2023

Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Marine Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Hagfish produce a unique, dilute hydrogel slime when threatened.
This slime originates from a glandular exudate that rapidly forms slime upon contact with seawater.
Studying hagfish slime ex vivo requires effective stabilization of the sensitive exudate for material property characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the efficacy of two primary exudate stabilization methods: citrate/PIPES (CP) buffer and oil immersion.
To investigate the impact of storage time, temperature, and pH on exudate stability and slime functionality.
To elucidate the distinct breakdown mechanisms associated with each stabilization method over time.

Main Methods:

Exudate stabilization using high osmolarity citrate/PIPES (CP) buffer and oil immersion.
Assessment of slime functionality via water retention measurements.
Evaluation of exudate stability under varying time, temperature, and pH conditions.

Main Results:

Both CP buffer and oil successfully preserved hagfish exudate and slime functionality for up to 5 hours.
Prolonged storage (beyond 5 hours) resulted in decreased slime functionality, with distinct breakdown pathways for each method.
Oil stabilization appeared to promote vesicle rupture, while CP buffer storage inhibited skein unraveling, potentially due to protein denaturation, especially at higher pH (8.5).

Conclusions:

Short-term stabilization (≤5 hours) of hagfish exudate is achievable with both CP buffer and oil.
Long-term storage reveals differing degradation mechanisms: osmotic-driven swelling/rupture in oil and inhibited skein unraveling (protein denaturation) in CP buffer.
Hagfish slime formation exhibits pH insensitivity around neutral pH (6-9) in seawater or phosphate buffer, but CP buffer pH significantly impacts exudate stability.