Researchers from the University of Tennessee and Agilent Labs recently determined that ivy has a secret trick that it uses to help it climb walls. Ivy actually secretes a gel-like material full of tiny nanoparticles as it grows skyward. When the material hardens, the plant is bonded firmly in place.

Now, some are suggesting that if humans figure out how to mimic this secretion synthetically, ivy-inspired nanotechnology could be used to create the next generation of sutures and surgical adhesives.

For other secrets of the plant world, visit Nature’s “The Seedy Side of Plants.” As it turns out, the flora living in your own backyard may be more cunning and manipulative than you ever suspected. Then, to learn more about medical applications of nanoparticle technology, head over to Curious. There you’ll find an interview with Mark Davis, a chemical engineer who created a new nanoparticle cancer treatment that he hopes will be easier on the body than chemotherapy and radiation.

Watch the full “Survival” episode of Curious.