No More Ripped Jeans: Squid Tooth Protein Could Lead to Self-Repairing Clothes

The future of mending clothes may require one less tailor and one extra squid. In a new development, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have discovered healing properties in the proteins from squid ring teeth that can self-repair some fabrics. According to the team, this technology can be applied to create chemically protective suits that protect farmers from pesticide exposure, factory workers from toxic ingredients and soldiers from chemical and biological attacks. "Fashion designers use natural fibers made of proteins like wool or silk that are expensive and they are not self-healing," said Melik C. Demirel, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, in a statement. "We were looking for a way to make fabrics self-healing using conventional textiles.