MUSSELS, spiders and plants that eat TNT are all being investigated by geneticists at York University.

The incredibly strong glue that mussels use to stick themselves to objects underwater has huge potential - if it could be produced in large quantities.

Now the scientists have identified the gene responsible for the glue and hope to harvest it from adapted tobacco plants.

If the idea works, it would have tremendous implications and surgeons are among those watching with particular interest as they hope it could do away with a lot of stitching.

One of the scientists involved in that project is also exploring the properties that make spider silk so strong, again with the hope that plants could be adapted to produce it.

The university is looking at genetics with regard to industrial and pharmaceutical uses rather than food.

Another area which has attracted interest from the Ministry of Defence involves a bacteria which has adapted itself to eat TNT on land contaminated by explosives.

If it can be put into plants the MoD's current handling of contaminated land - scraping of the surface and dumping it in landfill sites - could be a thing of the past.

Further investigations are going on into repellents which plants naturally use on tiny hairs to deter pests and predators. The micro-organisms involved could prove valuable in medicines.

Plants feature heavily in much of the work and future research. The need for bio-degradable car components is occupying the minds of motor manufacturers and flax could prove an integral part of that development.