Arts Thread

Caddisflies are small aquatic insects that, during their larval stage, survive underwater by ingeniously crafting protective cases around their bodies, gluing together fragments of debris with a unique silk. Secreted from their salivary glands, this filament hardens upon contact with metal ions in the water, creating a naturally adhesive, viscoelastic, and remarkably strong material, capable of bonding in wet environments. Inspired by this extraordinary natural system, Trichotech emerges as a conceptual biomimetic reactive adhesive technology that translates the caddisfly’s strategy into material innovation. At its core lies an adhesive modeled on the viscoelasticity and underwater bonding properties of caddisfly silk: once activated by a specific catalyst, it transforms into a thin, elastic filament capable of adhering to a wide variety of surfaces, even at microscopic scales. By enabling precision micro-repair of fragile and valuable materials, Trichotech envisions a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic adhesives. It embodies a circular approach to restoration, merging nature’s intelligence with advanced material science. Supported by the research team at the Università degli Studi di Perugia, this project also carries a personal dimension: it is a tribute to my great-grandfather, an entomologist who dedicated his life to studying caddisflies in Italy. Through Trichotech, his passion for these remarkable insects lives on bridging past knowledge with future innovation.