BRUSSELS, August 4, 2008 (AFP) - Belgian mussels have been pulled from the market due to toxic contamination, the country's food agency has announced, obliging lovers of the national dish 'moules-frites' to rely solely on foreign shellfish.

CHICAGO, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - US researchers have developed a cheap and simple technique to coat virtually any object, from catheters to contact lenses, by mimicking the adhesive quality of mussels, a study to be released Thursday said.

The investigators say the technology could potentially be used in a range of industrial applications, from adding protective coatings to medical devices and underwater structures, to engineering consumer electronics with flexible, bendable displays.

CHICAGO, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - US researchers have developed a cheap and simple technique to coat virtually any object, from catheters to contact lenses, by mimicking the adhesive quality of mussels, a study released Thursday said.

The investigators say the technology could potentially be used in a range of industrial applications, from adding protective coatings to medical devices and underwater structures, to engineering consumer electronics with flexible, bendable displays.

The report appears in the journal Science.