Probing Molecular Interactions between Barnacle Peptides and Polymers to Understand Bioadhesion.

Biofouling poses a significant issue in the maritime industry, where the attachment of biofoulants to ships greatly affects operational costs, surface durability, and marine pollution. Barnacles and barnacle proteins are widely used as models to study the biofouling mechanisms. With a combined experimental and simulation approach, this study elucidated the molecular interaction mechanisms between barnacle cement-derived peptides (BCPs) and a polymer.