When a slug is attacked by a predator, it releases slime that can clog up the mouth of its attacker, be it an insect, snake or bird. Gardeners who have picked slugs from their plants are all too familiar with this slime.
Researchers are now exploring the use of the slime from the Arion slug in medicine. The slug slime, which contains 97 per cent water, might be used to ‘glue’ the edges of wounds together. This might offer a scar-free alternative to stitches.
Source: Rebecca Falconer and Andrew Smith. Expression, Purification and Analysis of Recombinant Proteins Responsible for the Functional Properties of a Tough Biological Glue. Experimental Biology. April 6, 2019.