The gecko's feet are coated with a very thin layer of lipid that helps it stay sticky
Geckos are famous for having gripping feet which allow them to scale vertical surfaces with ease. They get this superpower from millions of microscopic structures like the hairs on their toes. Now, scientists have zoomed in to take a closer look at the structures, called setae, and found that they are coated in an ultra-thin film of water-repelling lipid molecules just a nanometer, or one millionth of a meter thick. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) analyzed the surface of the setae using high-energy X-rays emitted by a type of particle accelerator called a synchrotron. Synchrotron microscopy shows that the lipid molecules coat the surface of the setae in a dense and regular arrangement. Lipids can play a role in this process because they are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. “The lipids may serve to push the water under the spatula, allowing them to make closer contact with the surface,” said physicist and co-author Tobias Weidner of Aa