Cephalopods are known for their remarkable ability to camouflage by rapidly changing the color and reflectance of their skin, a property that is enabled by the presence of subcellular structures composed of unique structural proteins called reflectins. Given the critical role played by reflectins in regulating the optical behavior of these organisms, and their technological potential for the development of biophotonic and bioelectronic devices, these proteins have recently emerged as a desirable target for the design of novel functional biomaterials. However, the development of such materials has been impeded by a lack of complete understanding of their structures and properties. Here we highlight the proteins’ structure, assembly and multi-faceted material properties within the context of biophotonic and bioelectronic platforms. Specifically, we present the molecular-level structure of a model cephalopod protein and discuss how its structure and stimuli-responsive assembly enable its optical and electrical functionality. Our findings not only provide useful insights into the structure-function relationships of reflectins but also underscore their potential as functional biomaterials and hold relevance for the development of cephalopod-inspired optical and electronic technologies.

Structure, assembly, and tunable properties of a cephalopod protein-based material

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.