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The Light Gas Gun at the University of Kent is an unwieldy device which, to me, looks more like a lathe than a gun.<\/b><\/p>\n
Despite its lumbering appearance the gun can fire projectiles at a speed of 1.5km per second, or around 3,500mph, that’s almost twice the speed of a bullet.<\/p>\n
Today it has been loaded up with a piece of of basalt rock, a bit smaller than a pea, which will be blasted at a very special gel. <\/p>\n
The gel is made of the protein talin – or at least a version of the protein that has been refined and tweaked to give it an extraordinary ability to absorb impacts, as we are about to find out.<\/p>\n
We are herded out of the gun room and after a quick countdown the gun operator, Luke Alesbrook, pushes the button, triggering the gun.<\/p>\n
Back inside smoke wafts from the gun barrel as the target is removed. On inspection, the gel has been pushed around a bit but, amazingly, is still intact.<\/p>\n
What’s important is that the metal plate behind the gel is not damaged. Without the gel the basalt would have torn a chunk out of the plate.<\/p>\n
Talin can absorb force thanks to unique mechanical properties. Its structure includes spirals of amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – which form bundles. When pulled the bundles unfurl, increasing the length of the protein by a factor of 10.<\/p>\n
When the stress is released the bundles snap back into their original position, kind of like a spring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n