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Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Published on: January 28, 2016

Squid leucophore-inspired engineering of optically dynamic human cells.

Georgii Bogdanov¹, Atrouli Chatterjee¹, Nataliya Makeeva²

¹Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.

|July 31, 2023

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Scientists engineered mammalian cells with squid-inspired reflectin structures for dynamic optical properties. These structures enable advanced cell imaging and can be reconfigured with chemical stimuli, advancing biomimetic optical technologies.

Area of Science:

Biomimetic Engineering
Cell Biology
Optical Technologies

Background:

Cephalopods exhibit advanced dynamic camouflage, inspiring optical technology development.
Squid skin cells possess tunable optical characteristics that are of significant engineering interest.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop engineered living systems that mimic tunable optical properties of cephalopod skin cells.
To incorporate reflectin-based structures into mammalian cells for controllable optical characteristics.

Main Methods:

Genetic engineering to incorporate reflectin-based structures within mammalian cells.
Utilizing holotomographic and standard microscopy for cell imaging.
Applying chemical stimuli to reconfigure reflectin structures and quantifying changes.

Keywords:

Bioengineering Biological sciences Biomaterials

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Last Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

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Published on: January 28, 2016

Manipulating Living Cells to Construct Stable 3D Cellular Assembly Without Artificial Scaffold

Manipulating Living Cells to Construct Stable 3D Cellular Assembly Without Artificial Scaffold

Published on: October 26, 2018

Engineering and Characterization of an Optogenetic Model of the Human Neuromuscular Junction

Engineering and Characterization of an Optogenetic Model of the Human Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: April 14, 2022

Main Results:

Successful incorporation and imaging of reflectin-based structures in mammalian cells.
Demonstrated reconfiguration of reflectin structures using a chemical stimulus.
Quantified stimulus-induced structural changes at the single-cell level.

Conclusions:

Engineered mammalian cells can emulate tunable optical characteristics of cephalopod skin.
Reflectin-based structures offer potential as molecular probes in cell biology and biomedical optics.
Findings advance understanding of cephalopod dynamic camouflage and biomimetic optical systems.