Research at McGill University and the Max Planck Institute found the gluey thread produced by mistletoe berries, known as viscin, is strong enough to seal wounds. Each mistletoe berry produces around six feet of gluey thread, which allows the seeds of this parasitic plant to stick to and infect host plants. Ancient Greeks and Romans used the berries for various applications, such as trapping birds and skin ulcer ointment. Mistletoe produces a 'gluey' thread that can seal wounds for DAYS | Daily Mail Online It is a discovery that came about almost by chance – sparked by the actions of a young girl. “I had never seen mistletoe before living in Germany,” said Matthew Harrington, a senior author on the paper, and an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University, and the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Green Chemistry. “So, when my daughter was playing with a berry from a mistletoe we bought from a local Christmas market, and it started sticking to everything, I was intrigued." A biological super glue from mistletoe berries?
