Solid-state NMR revealed peculiar phosphonate in velvet worm slime

Alexandre Poulhazan – @AlexPoulhazan

Let's explore a peculiar protein modification detected combining #SSNMR, MAS-DNP (Thank you @DNPFred!) and mass spectrometry in @BioinspiredMatt velvet worm slime. Here we report glycophosphonated proteins, a rare modification in nature.#GlobalnmrTC2023 #NationalMagLab #NMRchat pic.twitter.com/vkwYqIBTgk

— Alexandre Poulhazan (@AlexPoulhazan) July 20, 2023

Velvet worms are fascinating animals that have a peculiar way to hunt. They eject a translucent liquid, the slime, that quickly forms sticky fibers trapping their preys. In addition to exciting recyclability of this natural glue, this slime has been characterized here by MAS-DNP and NMR, detecting unprecedented phosphonate-rich molecules.