Nature as a blueprint for polymer material concepts: Protein fiber-reinforced composites as holdfasts of mussels

Today’ demands for novel high-performance polymeric materials with precisely adjusted task-specific mechanics, durability and reliability require new concepts. This review introduces the byssus of blue mussels as a conceptual example of a natural functional proteinaceous material with gradual mechanical properties. The structure–function relationship of the involved proteins, as well as their arrangement and interplay are described in detail to gain insights into how nature deals with mechanical polymer gradients. The mussel byssus can serve as a blueprint which already led to bioinspired approaches for novel applications.