Laboratory for Cephalopod-inspired Materials

Cephalopods (squids, octopuses and cuttlefish) are known as the chameleons of the sea – these animals can alter their skin’s coloration, patterning, and texture to blend into the surrounding environment. These remarkable capabilities are enabled by unique proteins and self-assembled structures found within cephalopod skin. In this CALIT2 lab, researchers work on new types of photonic and protonic devices fabricated from cephalopod-derived and cephalopod-inspired materials. Their findings hold implications for the development of the next generation of infrared stealth, renewable energy, and bioelectronics technologies.

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  Squid Skin-Inspired Material a Game ChangerJune 30, 2022
  Lab creates wrappable substance with amazing insulation properties – and potential commercial use.
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  Squid Skin-inspired Cup CozyApril 13, 2022
  CALIT2 researchers have invented a squid-skin inspired material that can wrap around a coffee cup to shield sensitive fingers from heat.
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  UCI Engineers Reveal Molecular Secrets of Cephalopod PowersDecember 17, 2020
  Light-manipulating proteins potentially useful in optics, electronics and medicine.
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  Engineering Human Cells with Squid-like TransparencyJune 2, 2020
  Bioinspired research project a first step toward intrinsically translucent tissue.
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  UCI Engineers Develop Squid-inspired Multimodal Camouflage SystemMarch 24, 2020
  Engineering researchers have made significant progress in their efforts to develop the next generation of high-tech bioinspired camouflage systems.