For allergy sufferers, the pollination period is a tough time, whereas for plants it is the opportunity to reproduce: in addition to the wind, insects, in particular, carry pollen from one flower to another to pollinate them. During this transport, the pollen must repeatedly attach to and detach from different surfaces. To date, the underlying adhesive mechanisms have hardly been studied so far. Now, scientists from the Zoological Institute at Kiel University have discovered that the mechanisms are far more complex than previously assumed. They differ depending on the duration of the contact and the microstructure of the surfaces. In their study presented in the current issue of the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, they found a unique pollen gripping mechanism on the receptive female part of plants for the first time. The results could provide important knowledge for the transport of medicinal substances, and also—in light of the alarming decline in insect populations—for the development of alternative strategies in agriculture and food production.