This gossamer worm (_Tomopteris carpenteri_) is one of 10,000 or more species of bristle worms — a remarkably diverse group of creatures related to leeches and earthworms that date back more than 500 million years. And sometimes, metallic jaws and detachable rear ends with eyes and a brain. While visiting the Mediterranean coast, Luis Zelaya-Lainez found himself captivated by more than its sparkling seas and sun-dappled beaches.
Everywhere he looked there were sea worms, clinging defiantly to rocks despite “waves smashing into them, 24-7.” The biomechanical engineer, who’s based at the Vienna University of Technology, was transfixed. He became obsessed with the creatures, especially their jaws — a wonder tool used for feeding, fighting, digging, anchoring and more. The resulting material — a novel substance the researchers dubbed a “bio-metal” — is hard like conventional, crystalline metals, yet elastic like some polymers.
It’s a winning combination that could inspire a new generation of biomaterials, such as long-lasting hip implants and lightweight alternatives to conventional metals. And _P. cultrifera_ produces this metal-like substance at ambient temperatures and low pressures, says Zelaya-Lainez, which could be a boon for eco-friendly manufacturing. The worm is a type of polychaete, a group of segmented creatures with protruding bristles that power locomotion (and can scare off predators).
The bristles can resemble hooks, spines, feathers and even oars. Osborn isn’t surprised that _P. cultrifera_ can “pick things up from the environment and incorporate them into their teeth” to form bio-metals. Bristle worms are a resourceful group of animals that dates back more than 500 million years and has survived five mass extinctions.
The 10,000 or more species that exist today live mainly in the ocean, occupying every habitat imaginable, from the sandy seafloor to the open water column, from scalding hydrothermal vents to frigid Antarctic ice. Osborn’s favorite are the gossamer worms, which live mid-water and resemble transparent fern fronds. They are also one of the rare creatures that emit yellow luminescence, instead of the usual blue or green, which they can shoot out of their bristles to confuse attackers.
Aesthetics aside, researchers are studying the worms’ movements because they hold important lessons for soft robotics. This bristle worm develops hundreds of detachable rear ends called stolons that migrate to the ocean’s surface for mass spawning. Researchers from Vienna recently discovered that the jaws of the marine ragworm, _Perinereis cultrifera_ _,_ (close-up bottom left) contain metals such as zinc, imparting super strength.
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