WIKIMEDIA, NHOBGOOD
The layers of the protein reflectin that allow squid to rapidly change their skin color and blend in with their surroundings have been applied to a sticky tape that appears invisible under near-infrared light. The squid protein stickers, which could potentially shield soldiers from detection by night-vision cameras, were presented this week (March 23) at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting held in Denver.
Iridocytes, special cells in squid skin, are composed of sheets of reflectin that display different colors depending on the spacing between the light-reflecting layers. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, harnessed this natural property by coating bacterially expressed reflectin onto a hard surface. The scientists found that the color reflected by the protein layer depended on the thickness of the ...
