Researchers are exploring the healing power of mistletoe to see if it can be used as a high-quality surgical glue.
A team from the University of Essex in the UK is working with a British grower to explore whether the iconic festive flower can be used as an eco-friendly sealant.
Although famed for its Christmas tradition of people kissing under a sprig of mistletoe, the plant’s white berries have been used throughout history as a strong glue. However, the science behind it has been largely ignored.
Now, researchers led by Dr Nick Aldred and Dr Pallavi Singh are exploring whether mistletoe can be grown commercially and whether the adhesive can be used in medicine and industry.
Dr Aldred is building on his past work with barnacles and other sticky creatures.
Dr Singh is bringing her expertise on plant grafting, focusing on how the parasitic plant naturally colonises host trees.
She said: ‘I’m so excited to work with Dr Aldred on this project to explore how we can use this iconic festive plant for the greater good. Despite its fame, mistletoe is understudied and could have a wide range of uses – including high-quality surgical glue.
‘Mistletoe also has the largest genome of any plant to be sequenced in the UK, meaning the research could have wide-ranging impacts in biotech and how we understand the world.’
As far back as 50 BC, Roman author Pliny described the use of mistletoe berries in creating birdlime, which traps birds in hunting.
Poet Virgil, Shakespeare and ancient Egyptians also described the plant as helpful in creating glue.
During World War II, birdlime was also used to create British sticky bombs.
However, the commercial and medical use of mistletoe-based glue has yet to be fully explored due to uncertainty about the exact adhesive mechanisms and availability of berries on a large scale.
Dr Aldred and Singh address these gaps, aiming towards future eco-friendly glues.
Dr Aldred said: ‘By exploring the natural world to create environmentally friendly glues, we can use naturally occurring materials to benefit us all. It might seem unusual to use mistletoe berries as the basis of a glue, but its potential has been known for thousands of years.
He added: ‘If we can develop and build on this knowledge, hopefully, we can make a useful glue – whilst learning more about how nature can benefit us all.’
The University of Essex’s School of Life Sciences team has partnered with producer Mistletoe Trees near Chelmsford, Essex, on the project.
Although in its early stages, the researchers have grown mistletoe in a controlled laboratory environment and are now exploring its genetic make-up.
As the project develops, experiments will follow to see if mistletoe and mistletoe-inspired glue can be produced commercially.
