SPAWNING NEW 

 IDEAS FROM 

 AN OYSTER 



By Kathy Hart 



w. 



'hat do the eastern oyster, 

 dishwashing detergent and diapers 

 have in common? 



A protein polymer and South 

 Carolina Sea Grant scientist A.P. 

 "Hap" Wheeler, a Clemson University 

 biologist. 



More than 15 years ago. Wheeler 

 began to research how oysters use 

 proteins to regulate the size and shape 

 of crystals that comprise their shells. 

 Now that research has garnered the 

 attention of big-name corporations 

 developing biodegradable detergent 

 additives, superabsorbents for diapers 

 and soil additives to increase nutrient 

 uptake by crops. 



Wheeler, an easygoing scientist 

 with boyish charm and a warm smile, 

 matter-of-factly talks about his 

 research and the complicated chemis- 

 try behind it, never offering an inkling 

 that his work could spawn billions of 

 dollars in sales for a protein analogue 

 patterned after an oyster. 



Like our teeth and bones, oyster 

 shells are made of biominerals: 

 composites of minerals, usually 

 crystals, and protein polymers, chains 

 of molecules with a repetitive struc- 

 ture. In particular, the oyster shell is 

 composed of mineralized calcium 

 bound by proteins containing poly- 

 mers of an amino acid called aspartic 

 acid. 



Wheeler says these chains of 

 aspartic acid, called polyaspartic acid, 



Continued 



A.P. "Hap" Wheeler in his Clemson University laboratory. 



COASTWATCH 1 



