Inspired by the remora fish, scientists have created a suction-based adhesive that lets sensors cling to wet, soft, moving surfaces, from the human gut to the open ocean.
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Slippery, moving surfaces are really tricky for sensors: they are extremely difficult to cling on to. In the gastrointestinal tract, mucus, constant motion, and rapid tissue regeneration make it difficult for ingestible devices to hold position long enough to collect meaningful data. In marine environments, currents, surface irregularities, and host movement can quickly dislodge even the most advanced tracking and monitoring equipment.
Researchers at MIT have developed a bio-inspired solution to this problem by studying one of nature’s most effective hitchhikers: the remora fish. Known for attaching themselves to sharks, rays, and other fast-moving hosts, the remora use their specialized suction discs to maintain a strong grip on wet, soft, and irregular surfaces in dynamic aquatic conditions.
Learning From Remora Fish
The remora’s disc is a broad suction pad, with rows of smaller pads known as lamellae, each wrapped in soft tissue. These lamellae create localised suction zones that allow the fish to adapt to uneven textures, preserving grip during constant movement.
Using high-resolution imaging, the team found that the angled rows on the suction pad's surface enhance adhesion in wet environments. Drawing directly on this biological design, they engineered a synthetic adhesive with angled ridges and compartmentalised suction chambers, each capable of forming its own seal, just like the remora’s lamellae.
A Soft, Self-Powering Attachment System
The synthetic adhesive platform is made from soft, flexible materials, allowing it to conform to complex surfaces without damage. It is entirely passive, relying on pressure-driven suction rather than motors or actuators. This simplicity improves its reliability for long-term use.
The researchers tested their device for biomedical application. Their adhesive pad could anchor ingestible sensors to gastrointestinal tract tissue in experimental models for days up to weeks, resisting peristalsis, mucus flow, and tissue turnover. It was just as effective in marine trials, where it maintained its hold on wet, moving surfaces under continuous water flow, where traditional attachment systems typically fail.
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Keeping Sensors Where They’re Needed Most
The device’s ability to form multiple independent suction seals means it can adapt to surface irregularities and varying softness, maintaining stability without the need for constant adjustment.
For medical applications, this means sensors can remain in place long enough to gather continuous, high-resolution data from inside the body. For environmental monitoring, it offers a way to track marine animals or attach sensors to underwater infrastructure for extended observation without harming the host or requiring frequent retrieval.
This technology could revolutionize long-term monitoring devices, making it possible to collect data even in some of the most challenging environments.
Journal Reference
Press Release. MIT News. Adhesive inspired by hitchhiking sucker fish sticks to soft surfaces underwater. Accessed on 23rd July 2025. https://news.mit.edu/2025/hitchhiking-sucker-fish-inspired-adhesive-sticks-soft-surfaces-underwater-0723