The healing power of mistletoe is being explored by researchers to see if it can be used as a high-quality surgical glue. A team from the University of Essex in Essex, England, is working with a British grower to explore if the iconic festive flower can make an eco-friendly sealant.

Although famed for Christmas kisses the plant’s white berries have been used throughout history as a strong glue – but the science behind it has been explored on a large scale. But now, researchers led by Dr. Nick Aldred and Dr. Pallavi Singh are exploring if mistletoe can be grown commercially and if the adhesive produced with the plant can be used in medicine and industry.

Aldred is building on his past work with barnacles and other sticky creatures, and Singh is bringing her expertise on plant grafting, focusing on how the parasitic plant naturally colonizes host trees. Dr Singh said: “I’m so excited to be working with Dr Aldred on this project to explore how we can use this iconic festive plant for the greater good. Despite its fame, mistletoe is really understudied, and it could have a wide range of uses – including high-quality surgical glue. Mistletoe also has the largest genome of any plant to be sequenced in the UK, meaning the research could have wide ranging impacts in biotech and how we understand the world.”

As far back as 50BC Roman author Pliny described the use of mistletoe berries in the creation of birdlime, which is used to trap birds in hunting. With poet Virgil, Shakespeare and ancient Egyptians, also describing the plant as useful in creating glue. During World II, birdlime was also used to create British sticky bombs.

However, the commercial and medical use of mistletoe-based glue has not been fully explored due to uncertainty about the exact adhesive mechanisms and availability of berries on a large scale. Aldred and Singh address these gaps, aiming towards future eco-friendly glues.

“By exploring the natural world to create environmentally friendly glues we can use naturally occurring materials to benefit us all,” said Aldred. “It might seem unusual to use mistletoe berries as the basis of a glue, but its potential has been known about for thousands of years. If we can develop and build on this knowledge hopefully, we can make a useful glue – whilst learning more about how nature can benefit us all.”

The School of Life Sciences team has partnered with producer Mistletoe Trees, near Chelmsford, Essex, on the project.

Although in its early stages, the researchers have managed to grow mistletoe in controlled laboratory environment and are now exploring its genetic make-up. With a series of experiments to follow as the project develops to see if mistletoe and mistletoe-inspired glue can be developed commercially.