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March is Women's History Month!

Why A Hoosier State Scientist Is Stuck On Oysters

Jonathan Wilker holds up a group of oysters from a tank in his lab at Purdue University.
Rebecca Davis
/
NPR
Jonathan Wilker holds up a group of oysters from a tank in his lab at Purdue University.

How do oysters attach themselves to rocks? They need a glue, but a glue that can set in a watery environment. In this installment of "Joe's Big Idea," NPR's Joe Palca reports that glue could lead to medical advances.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics — everything from biomedical research to astronomy. He is currently focused on the eponymous series, "Joe's Big Idea." Stories in the series explore the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.