Flea protein may repair arteries A protein responsible for fleas' astonishing jumping power could be harnessed to repair damaged arteries.
Scientists have taken the gene that produces resilin and used it to create a super-strong rubbery polymer with potential use in surgery.
They actually extracted the gene from fruit flies and cultured resilin in large quantities in E.coli bacteria.
The work, by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, features in Nature
The outstanding mechanical properties of resilin were discovered four decades ago during studies of the flight systems of desert locusts and dragonflies.
Not only does it enable fleas to leap prodigious distances, it allows flies to beat their wings at incredible speed - up to 200 times a second.
It out-performs even the highest-grade rubber in its ability to withstand stress and bounces back into shape. ..........
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