A spider web-inspired sticky tape has been designed to heal wounds after surgery.
The double-sided tape would be used to stick body tissues together, which can often be difficult because the water on their surface makes them slippery.
Researchers drew their inspiration from the sticky material released by spiders to catch prey during wet conditions.
The glue-like material they secrete contains charged polysaccharides that absorb water from the surface of an insect, leaving a dry patch it can then stick to.
The tape is proposed as an alternative to stitches, which can cause pain or infections.
Tests from scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found the tape worked within seconds on pig skin and lungs.
However, it is several years from being ready to trial on humans.
Study author Hyunwoo Yuk said: "It's very challenging to suture soft or fragile tissues such as the lung and trachea, but with our double-sided tape, within five seconds we can easily seal them."
