“Bio-Metal” found in sea worm jaws could Inspire new lightweight materials

Vienna: Scientists at TU Wien have discovered a new “bio-metal” in the jaws of marine ragworm Perinereis cultrifera.

The material combines proteins with zinc and other metal ions, making it both extremely hard and lightweight. Lab tests showed it acts like metal — getting harder at smaller scales — but also has biology-like elasticity that normal metals don’t have.

Researchers say the unique structure could inspire new strong, light materials for engineering, aerospace, and robotics. The team now plans to study more species to see if these bio-metals can be replicated.