Cephalopod-derived biophotonics

Optically engineered dynamic materials have a wide range of applications in areas ranging from biomedical imaging to adaptive camouflaging. Within this context, the cephalopod’s camouflaging and color-changing abilities are attributed to reflectin protein-based subcellular reconfigurable structures in their tunable skin architectures. However, engineering and mimicking such dynamics and reversible control over transparencies in living human cells and tissues have remained challenging. In this section of the subgroup, we have designed and engineered human cells that contain reconfigurable reflectin-based photonic architectures and in turn, possess tunable transparency-changing and light-scattering capabilities. We aim to further understand the self-assembly of these proteinaceous photonic structures in vitro and in vivo to predict bulk optical properties, design genetic probes for non-invasive intracellular imaging and generate light-manipulating living materials for optical engineering, biophotonics, and biomedical applications.

Related Publication

Related Media

Cephalopod-inspired optical engineering of human cells

• How cephalopod cells could take us one step closer to invisibility-podcast (01/11/2021), (Sanghoon) Podcast
• DARPA Invisible Man: Human Cells Engineered With Squid-Like Transparency Article
• Scientists create human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• Changing the Transparency of Human Cells Article
• Invisibility is (almost) possible when human cells are merged with squid genes Article
• Coming soon: the invisible man Article
• Scientists Give Human Cells Squid-Like Active Camouflage Article
• Creating Human Cells with Some Squid-Like Qualities Article
• Humans May Soon Be Able To Turn Invisible With Squid Superpowers Article
• Genetically Engineered Human Cells Can Change Color Like A Scared Squid Article
• Scientists Have Engineered Human Cells With a Squid-Like Power of Invisibility Article
• Генномодифицированные клетки человека могут менять цвет, как кальмар Article
• Crean células humanas transparentes Article
• Researchers Create Human Cells with Tunable Optical Properties Article
• Scientists create invisible human cells Article
• Splinter Cell Scientists Gene-Hack Human Cells to Turn Invisible Article
• Biotechnology: Engineering human cells to become transparent Article
• Real-life Invisible Man: Scientists turn human cells transparent Article
• Scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• Scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• Scientists Engineer Human Cells with Squid-Like Transparency Article
• Scientists Engineer Human Cells With Squid-Like Transparency Article
• Scientists Engineer Human Cells With Squid-Like Transparency Article
• The invisible man? Scientists engineer human cells to become TRANSPARENT like squids Article
• The invisible man? Scientists engineer human cells to become TRANSPARENT like squids Article
• Genetically altered human cells can vary their transparency like squid Article
• Inspired By Female Squids, Scientists Genetically Engineered Human Cells To Become Translucent Article
• Scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• Scientists Mixed Squid DNA With Human Cells to Control Their Transparency in ‘Revolutionary’ Study Article
• Scientists turn human cells TRANSPARENT thanks to colour-changing proteins from a squid Article
• Secret of squid invisibility used to turn human cells transparent Article
• TRANSPARENT HUMAN CELLS TURN A CLASSIC SCI-FI STORY INTO REALITY Article
• UCI scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• UCI scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• UCI scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• UCI scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency Article
• Белок кальмара позволил человеческим клеткам окраситься по команде Article