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Zheng W, Zhang N, Murtaza G, Meng Z, Wu L, Qiu L. Naked-Eye Visual Thermometer Based on Glycerol─Nonclose-Packed Photonic Crystals for Real-Time Temperature Sensing and Monitoring. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38417142 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Real-time sensing and monitoring of temperature are of great significance for assessing human health. The sensitivity and stability are inevitable issues for thermometers. In this study, a thermometer with the cylindrical thermochromic hydrogel was prepared for real-time visual monitoring of temperature, which had excellent temperature sensitivity, angle-independence axially, and environmental stability. The customization of their initial optical properties depended on the PMMA concentrations and the content of the hydrogel monomer. The glycerol introduced with solvent displacement formed hydrogen bonds with the hydrogel network, which stabilized their mechanical properties, and the reflection peak blue-shifted from 653 to 499 nm when tensile strain was 57.85%. At the same time, the environmental stability originated from the moisturizing properties of the glycerol, which enabled the hydrogel to reliably transmit the information on temperature into the air without losing moisture. The reflection peak of the cylindrical thermochromic hydrogel shifted from 657 to 455 nm when the temperature increased from 22 to 45 °C, which realized temperature visual monitoring in the full-color range. The temperature sensitivity of the glycerol─nonclose-packed photonic crystals remained stable for 1 month, which provided an optimal option for continuous visual temperature monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Zheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Niu Zhang
- Analysis & Testing Centre, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Ghulam Murtaza
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihui Meng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lili Qiu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
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2
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Singla S, Yang Z, Patil A, Guo H, Vanthournout B, Htut KZ, Shawkey MD, Tsige M, Dhinojwala A. Influence of Core Type and Shell Thickness on Avian-Inspired Structural Colors Produced from Melanin Nanoparticle Assemblies. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:45229-45238. [PMID: 37699412 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c08152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Hollow melanosomes found in iridescent bird feathers, including violet-backed starlings and wild turkeys, enable the generation of diverse structural colors. It has been postulated that the high refractive index (RI) contrast between melanin (1.74) and air (1.0) results in brighter and more saturated colors. This has led to several studies that have synthesized hollow synthetic melanin nanoparticles and fabricated colloidal nanostructures to produce synthetic structural colors. However, these studies use hollow nanoparticles with thin shells (<20 nm), even though shell thicknesses as high as 100 nm have been observed in natural melanosomes. Here, we combine experimental and computational approaches to examine the influence of the varying polydopamine (PDA, synthetic melanin) shell thickness (0-100 nm) and core material on structural colors. Experimentally, a concomitant change in overall particle size and RI contrast makes it difficult to interpret the effect of a hollow or solid core on color. Thus, we utilize finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to uncover the effect of shell thickness and core on structural colors. Our FDTD results highlight that hollow particles with thin shells have substantially higher saturation than same-sized solid and core-shell particles. These results would benefit a wide range of applications including paints, coatings, and cosmetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saranshu Singla
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Zepeng Yang
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Anvay Patil
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Hao Guo
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | - K Zin Htut
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | - Mesfin Tsige
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
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3
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Heil CM, Patil A, Vanthournout B, Singla S, Bleuel M, Song JJ, Hu Z, Gianneschi NC, Shawkey MD, Sinha SK, Jayaraman A, Dhinojwala A. Mechanism of structural colors in binary mixtures of nanoparticle-based supraballs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf2859. [PMID: 37235651 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf2859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by structural colors in avian species, various synthetic strategies have been developed to produce noniridescent, saturated colors using nanoparticle assemblies. Nanoparticle mixtures varying in particle chemistry and size have additional emergent properties that affect the color produced. For complex multicomponent systems, understanding the assembled structure and a robust optical modeling tool can empower scientists to identify structure-color relationships and fabricate designer materials with tailored color. Here, we demonstrate how we can reconstruct the assembled structure from small-angle scattering measurements using the computational reverse-engineering analysis for scattering experiments method and use the reconstructed structure in finite-difference time-domain calculations to predict color. We successfully, quantitatively predict experimentally observed color in mixtures containing strongly absorbing nanoparticles and demonstrate the influence of a single layer of segregated nanoparticles on color produced. The versatile computational approach that we present is useful for engineering synthetic materials with desired colors without laborious trial-and-error experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian M Heil
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Anvay Patil
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave., Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Saranshu Singla
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave., Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Markus Bleuel
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, 4418 Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Jing-Jin Song
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ziying Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nathan C Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology, International Institute of Nanotechnology, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Sunil K Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Arthi Jayaraman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave., Akron, OH 44325, USA
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4
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Eliason CM, Clarke JA, Kane SA. Wrinkle nanostructures generate a novel form of blue structural color in great argus flight feathers. iScience 2023; 26:105912. [PMID: 36691618 PMCID: PMC9860389 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently known structural colors in feathers are caused by light scattering from periodic or amorphous arrangements of keratin, melanin, and air within barbs and barbules that comprise the feather vane. Structural coloration in the largest part of the feather, the central rachis, is rare. Here, we report on an investigation of the physical mechanisms underlying the only known case of structural coloration in the rachis, the blue rachis of great argus (Argusianus argus) flight feathers. Spectrophotometry revealed a reflectance peak at 344 nm that is diffuse and well matched to the blue and UV-sensitive cone sensitivities of this species' visual system. A combination of electron microscopy and optical modeling confirmed blue coloration is generated by scattering from amorphous wrinkle nanostructures 125 nm deep and 385 nm apart, a new avian coloration mechanism. These findings have implications for understanding how novel courtship phenotypes arise through evolutionary modification of existing ontogenetic templates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Eliason
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Julia A. Clarke
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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5
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Cheng C, Zhang X, Li M, Pei D, Chen Y, Zhao X, Li C. Iridescent coating of graphene oxide on various substrates. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 617:604-610. [PMID: 35305472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.03.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Two-dimensional nanomaterials have been incorporated into coating layers for exceptional properties in mechanic toughness, electronics, thermology and optics. Graphene oxide (GO), however, was greatly hindered by its strong adsorption within visible wavelength and hereby the intrinsic dark color at the solid state. Herein, we found a unique aqueous mixture of GO containing sodium dodecyl sulfate and l-ascorbic acid. It enabled to produce iridescent coating layers with tunable thickness of 0.3-50 μm on both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates (e.g., glass, aluminum foil, polytetrafluoroethylene), through brushing, liquid-casting, dipping and writing. Their iridescence could be further tuned by incorporating MXene nanosheets. And their mechanical properties could be enhanced by certain synthetic polymers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol). Their sensitivity to heat, laser and water also benefited to pattern the coating layers. Furthermore, by controlling laser intensity, the domain color could be changed (e.g., green to blue). Thus, this study may pave a new pathway of producing iridescent coatings of graphene oxide in a large scale for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyi Cheng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, PR China; Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Xiaofang Zhang
- Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China.
| | - Mingjie Li
- Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Danfeng Pei
- Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Yijun Chen
- Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Xihui Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, PR China.
| | - Chaoxu Li
- Group of Biomimetic Smart Materials, CAS Key Lab of Bio-based materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Songling Road 189, Qingdao 266101, PR China; Center of Material and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China.
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6
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Brown JI, Harrigan RJ, Lavretsky P. Evolutionary and Ecological Drivers of Local Adaptation and Speciation in a North American Avian Species Complex. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2578-2593. [PMID: 35263000 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the speciation process, genomic divergence can be differentially impacted by selective pressures, as well as gene flow and genetic drift. Disentangling the effects of these evolutionary mechanisms remains challenging, especially for non-model organisms. Accounting for complex evolutionary histories and contemporary population structure often requires sufficient sample sizes, for which the expense of full genomes remains prohibitive. Here, we demonstrate the utility of partial-genome sequence data for range-wide samples to shed light into the divergence process of two closely related ducks, the Mexican duck (Anas diazi) and mallard (A. platyrhynchos). We determine the role of selective and neutral processes during speciation of Mexican ducks by integrating evolutionary and demographic modelling with genotype-environment and genotype-phenotype association testing. First, evolutionary models and demographic analyses support the hypothesis that Mexican ducks originally diverged ~300,000 years ago in a climate refugia arising during a glacial period in in a southwestern North America, and that subsequent environmental selective pressures played a key role in divergence. Mexican ducks then showed cyclical demographic patterns that likely reflected repeated range expansions and contractions, along with bouts of gene flow with mallards during glacial cycles. Finally, we provide evidence that sexual selection acted on several phenotypic traits as a co-evolutionary process, facilitating the development of reproductive barriers that initially arose due to strong ecological selection. More broadly, this work reveals that the genomic and phenotypic patterns observed across species complexes are the result of myriad factors that contribute in dynamic ways to the evolutionary trajectories of a lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
| | - Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, U.S.A
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
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7
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Nordén KK, Eliason CM, Stoddard MC. Evolution of brilliant iridescent feather nanostructures. eLife 2021; 10:e71179. [PMID: 34930526 PMCID: PMC8691833 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The brilliant iridescent plumage of birds creates some of the most stunning color displays known in the natural world. Iridescent plumage colors are produced by nanostructures in feathers and have evolved in diverse birds. The building blocks of these structures-melanosomes (melanin-filled organelles)-come in a variety of forms, yet how these different forms contribute to color production across birds remains unclear. Here, we leverage evolutionary analyses, optical simulations, and reflectance spectrophotometry to uncover general principles that govern the production of brilliant iridescence. We find that a key feature that unites all melanosome forms in brilliant iridescent structures is thin melanin layers. Birds have achieved this in multiple ways: by decreasing the size of the melanosome directly, by hollowing out the interior, or by flattening the melanosome into a platelet. The evolution of thin melanin layers unlocks color-producing possibilities, more than doubling the range of colors that can be produced with a thick melanin layer and simultaneously increasing brightness. We discuss the implications of these findings for the evolution of iridescent structures in birds and propose two evolutionary paths to brilliant iridescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Katarina Nordén
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Chad M Eliason
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Field Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoUnited States
| | - Mary Caswell Stoddard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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8
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Ma S, Liu H, Wang J, Wang L, Xi Y, Liu Y, Xu Q, Hu J, Han C, Bai L, Li L, Wang J. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated With Sexual Dichromatism of Head Feather Color in Mallard. Front Genet 2021; 12:627974. [PMID: 34956302 PMCID: PMC8692775 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.627974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism of feather color is typical in mallards, in which drakes exhibit green head feathers, while females show dull head feather color. We showed that more melanosomes deposited in the males' head's feather barbules than females and further form a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, which conferred the green feather coloration of drakes. Additionally, transcriptome analysis revealed that some essential melanin biosynthesis genes were highly expressed in feather follicles during the development of green feathers, contributing to melanin deposition. We further identified 18 candidate differentially expressed genes, which may affect the sharp color differences between the males' head feathers, back feathers, and the females' head feathers. TYR and TYRP1 genes are associated with melanin biosynthesis directly. Their expressions in the males' head feather follicles were significantly higher than those in the back feather follicles and females' head feather follicles. Most clearly, the expression of TYRP1 was 256 and 32 times higher in the head follicles of males than in those of the female head and the male back, respectively. Hence, TYR and TYRP1 are probably the most critical candidate genes in DEGs. They may affect the sexual dimorphism of head feather color by cis-regulation of some transcription factors and the Z-chromosome dosage effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hehe Liu
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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9
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Freyer P, Wilts BD, Stavenga DG. Cortex Thickness Is Key for the Colors of Iridescent Starling Feather Barbules With a Single, Organized Melanosome Layer. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.746254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The iridescent plumage of many birds is structurally colored due to an orderly arrangement of melanosomes in their feather barbules. Here, we investigated the blue- to purple-colored feathers of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and the blue and green feathers of the Cape starling (Lamprotornis nitens). In both cases, the barbules contain essentially a single layer of melanosomes, but in S. vulgaris they are solid and rod-shaped, and in L. nitens they are hollow and rod- as well as platelet-shaped. We analyzed the coloration of the feathers by applying imaging scatterometry, bifurcated-probe- and micro-spectrophotometry. The reflectance spectra of the feathers of the European starling showed multiple peaks and a distinct, single peak for the Cape starling feathers. Assuming that the barbules of the two starling species contain a simple multilayer, consisting locally only of a cortex plus a single layer of melanosomes, we interpret the experimental data by applying effective-medium-multilayer modeling. The optical modeling provides quantitative insight into the function of the keratin cortex thickness, being the principal factor to determine the peak wavelength of the reflectance bands; the melanosome layer only plays a minor role. The air cavity in the hollow melanosomes of the Cape starling creates a strongly enhanced refractive index contrast, thus very effectively causing a high reflectance.
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10
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McCoy DE, Shneidman AV, Davis AL, Aizenberg J. Finite-difference Time-domain (FDTD) Optical Simulations: A Primer for the Life Sciences and Bio-Inspired Engineering. Micron 2021; 151:103160. [PMID: 34678583 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2021.103160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Light influences most ecosystems on earth, from sun-dappled forests to bioluminescent creatures in the ocean deep. Biologists have long studied nano- and micro-scale organismal adaptations to manipulate light using ever-more sophisticated microscopy, spectroscopy, and other analytical equipment. In combination with experimental tools, simulations of light interacting with objects can help researchers determine the impact of observed structures and explore how variations affect optical function. In particular, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is widely used throughout the nanophotonics community to efficiently simulate light interacting with a variety of materials and optical devices. More recently, FDTD has been used to characterize optical adaptations in nature, such as camouflage in fish and other organisms, colors in sexually-selected birds and spiders, and photosynthetic efficiency in plants. FDTD is also common in bioengineering, as the design of biologically-inspired engineered structures can be guided and optimized through FDTD simulations. Parameter sweeps are a particularly useful application of FDTD, which allows researchers to explore a range of variables and modifications in natural and synthetic systems (e.g., to investigate the optical effects of changing the sizes, shape, or refractive indices of a structure). Here, we review the use of FDTD simulations in biology and present a brief methods primer tailored for life scientists, with a focus on the commercially available software Lumerical FDTD. We give special attention to whether FDTD is the right tool to use, how experimental techniques are used to acquire and import the structures of interest, and how their optical properties such as refractive index and absorption are obtained. This primer is intended to help researchers understand FDTD, implement the method to model optical effects, and learn about the benefits and limitations of this tool. Altogether, FDTD is well-suited to (i) characterize optical adaptations and (ii) provide mechanistic explanations; by doing so, it helps (iii) make conclusions about evolutionary theory and (iv) inspire new technologies based on natural structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota E McCoy
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Anna V Shneidman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Alexander L Davis
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Campus Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Joanna Aizenberg
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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11
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Vaz R, Frasco MF, Sales MGF. Photonics in nature and bioinspired designs: sustainable approaches for a colourful world. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:5106-5129. [PMID: 36132040 PMCID: PMC9416915 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00445f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems possess nanoarchitectures that have evolved for specific purposes and whose ability to modulate the flow of light creates an extraordinary diversity of natural photonic structures. In particular, the striking beauty of the structural colouration observed in nature has inspired technological innovation in many fields. Intense research has been devoted to mimicking the unique vivid colours with newly designed photonic structures presenting stimuli-responsive properties, with remarkable applications in health care, safety and security. This review highlights bioinspired photonic approaches in this context, starting by presenting many appealing examples of structural colours in nature, followed by describing the versatility of fabrication methods and designed coloured structures. A particular focus is given to optical sensing for medical diagnosis, food control and environmental monitoring, which has experienced a significant growth, especially considering the advances in obtaining inexpensive miniaturized systems, more reliability, fast responses, and the use of label-free layouts. Additionally, naturally derived biomaterials and synthetic polymers are versatile and fit many different structural designs that are underlined. Progress in bioinspired photonic polymers and their integration in novel devices is discussed since recent developments have emerged to lift the expectations of smart, flexible, wearable and portable sensors. The discussion is expanded to give emphasis on additional functionalities offered to related biomedical applications and the use of structural colours in new sustainable strategies that could meet the needs of technological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Vaz
- BioMark Sensor Research/UC, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Coimbra University Coimbra Portugal
- BioMark Sensor Research/ISEP, School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto Porto Portugal
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, Minho University Braga Portugal
| | - Manuela F Frasco
- BioMark Sensor Research/UC, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Coimbra University Coimbra Portugal
- BioMark Sensor Research/ISEP, School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto Porto Portugal
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, Minho University Braga Portugal
| | - M Goreti F Sales
- BioMark Sensor Research/UC, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Coimbra University Coimbra Portugal
- BioMark Sensor Research/ISEP, School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto Porto Portugal
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, Minho University Braga Portugal
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12
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Rashid I, Hassan MU, Nazim M, Elsherif M, Dou Q, Hu D, Kamran M, Dai Q, Butt H. Structural colouration in the Himalayan monal, hydrophobicity and refractive index modulated sensing. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:21409-21419. [PMID: 33079113 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr06382g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Himalayan monal is a bird in the pheasant family, and it is the national bird of Nepal. The bird possesses spectacular iridescent plumage with a range of different metallic colours. Here, we have studied the internal structure of its feathers from different parts of the bird's body and showed that its beautiful colours and iridescence are due to photonic structures present in the internal structure of the feathers. Sharp changes in the reflected brilliance were observed from the feathers upon changing the illumination conditions, such as horizontal and azimuthal angles. The feathers exhibited interesting hydrophobic properties, with the dull-coloured proximal end showing lower hydrophobicity with a contact angle between 90° and 110° compared with the iridescent distal end of a feather exhibiting a contact angle between 115° and 120°, attributed to the change in the internal structure and/or density of the feathers. A quick reversible change in colours of these feathers was observed when they were soaked in water and other liquids, which reversed upon drying. The shift in colour was suggested to be due to the swelling of the keratin layer of barbules that absorbed liquids and as a result modified the refractive index and periodicity of the internal photonic structures. The colour shift response of feathers was different in the case of alcohols and other water-based solutions, suggesting different swelling behaviour of keratin against different liquids; the water-based solution had the more pronounced effect. Such photonic modulation can be utilized in colour selective filters and sensing devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ijaz Rashid
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Muhammad Umair Hassan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Muhammad Nazim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mohamed Elsherif
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Qian Dou
- Nanophotonics Research Division, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Debo Hu
- Nanophotonics Research Division, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Muhammad Kamran
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Qing Dai
- Nanophotonics Research Division, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Haider Butt
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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13
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Shanker R, Sardar S, Chen S, Gamage S, Rossi S, Jonsson MP. Noniridescent Biomimetic Photonic Microdomes by Inkjet Printing. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:7243-7250. [PMID: 32936657 PMCID: PMC7872416 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Certain bird species have evolved spectacular colors that arise from organized nanostructures of melanin. Its high refractive index (∼1.8) and broadband absorptive properties enable vivid structural colors that are nonsusceptible to photobleaching. Mimicking natural melanin structural coloration could enable several important applications, in particular, for noniridescent systems with colors that are independent of incidence angle. Here, we address this by forming melanin photonic crystal microdomes by inkjet printing. Owing to their curved nature, the microdomes exhibit noniridescent vivid structural coloration, tunable throughout the visible range via the size of the nanoparticles. Large-area arrays (>1 cm2) of high-quality photonic microdomes could be printed on both rigid and flexible substrates. Combined with scalable fabrication and the nontoxicity of melanin, the presented photonic microdomes with noniridescent structural coloration may find use in a variety of applications, including sensing, displays, and anticounterfeit holograms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Shanker
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Samim Sardar
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
- Center
for Nano Science and Technology@PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Giovanni Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Shangzhi Chen
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Sampath Gamage
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Stefano Rossi
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - Magnus P. Jonsson
- Laboratory
of Organic Electronics, Linköping
University, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden
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14
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Kohri M. Biomimetic Structural Color Materials Based on Artificial Melanin Particles. J PHOTOPOLYM SCI TEC 2020. [DOI: 10.2494/photopolymer.33.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Hong W, Yuan Z, Chen X. Structural Color Materials for Optical Anticounterfeiting. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1907626. [PMID: 32187853 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201907626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The counterfeiting of goods is growing worldwide, affecting practically any marketable item ranging from consumer goods to human health. Anticounterfeiting is essential for authentication, currency, and security. Anticounterfeiting tags based on structural color materials have enjoyed worldwide and long-term commercial success due to their inexpensive production and exceptional ease of percept. However, conventional anticounterfeiting tags of holographic gratings can be readily copied or imitated. Much progress has been made recently to overcome this limitation by employing sufficient complexity and stimuli-responsive ability into the structural color materials. Moreover, traditional processing methods of structural color tags are mainly based on photolithography and nanoimprinting, while new processing methods such as the inkless printing and additive manufacturing have been developed, enabling massive scale up fabrication of novel structural color security engineering. This review presents recent breakthroughs in structural color materials, and their applications in optical encryption and anticounterfeiting are discussed in detail. Special attention is given to the unique structures for optical anticounterfeiting techniques and their optical aspects for encryption. Finally, emerging research directions and current challenges in optical encryption technologies using structural color materials is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hong
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for High-Performance Organic and Polymer Photoelectric Functional Films, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P. R. China
| | - Zhongke Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for High-Performance Organic and Polymer Photoelectric Functional Films, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P. R. China
| | - Xudong Chen
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for High-Performance Organic and Polymer Photoelectric Functional Films, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P. R. China
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16
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Su X, Li H, Lai X, Zheng L, Chen Z, Zeng S, Shen K, Sun L, Zeng X. Bioinspired Superhydrophobic Thermochromic Films with Robust Healability. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:14578-14587. [PMID: 32118397 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Thermochromic films with intriguing functionalities have great potential in soft actuators, heat storage devices, and interactive interface sensors. Inspired by the unique features of bird feathers (such as Nicobar pigeon, Anna hummingbird, mandarin duck, etc.), a superhydrophobic thermochromic film (STF) with robust healability is proposed for the first time through sandwiching an electric heater between a top thermochromic layer and a bottom poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) substrate. The STF exhibits fast and reversible color conversions of blue-pink-yellow under a low input power and has a superhydrophobic property with a contact angle of 155°. Furthermore, owing to the strong dynamic dipole-dipole interactions between the polar CF3 groups of flexible PVDF-HFP chains, the STF possesses a robust healing capability of structure and conductivity. By means of the temperature difference generated by the objects contacting (finger, iron, and water) as a stimulus, the STFs achieve tactile imaging and writing record with advantages of transient display, automatic erasure, and excellent reusability. Additionally, the STF-based anti-counterfeiting security labels with superhydrophobicity and three-state color switching simultaneously realize facile distinguishment and difficult forgery. The findings conceivably stand out as a new methodology to fabricate functional thermochromic materials for innovative applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Su
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Hongqiang Li
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Key Lab of Guangdong Province for High Property and Functional Polymer Materials, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xuejun Lai
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Key Lab of Guangdong Province for High Property and Functional Polymer Materials, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Longzhu Zheng
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhonghua Chen
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Songshan Zeng
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science and Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Kuangyu Shen
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science and Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Luyi Sun
- Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science and Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Xingrong Zeng
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Key Lab of Guangdong Province for High Property and Functional Polymer Materials, Guangzhou 510640, China
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17
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18
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Eliason CM, Maia R, Parra JL, Shawkey MD. Signal evolution and morphological complexity in hummingbirds (Aves:
Trochilidae
). Evolution 2020; 74:447-458. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Eliason
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center Field Museum of Natural History Chicago
| | - Rafael Maia
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center Field Museum of Natural History Chicago
| | - Juan L. Parra
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biología Universidad de Antioquia Medellín Colombia
| | - Matthew D. Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology University of Ghent 9000 Ghent Belgium
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19
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Laczi M, Hegyi G, Kötél D, Csizmadia T, Lőw P, Török J. Reflectance in relation to macro- and nanostructure in the crown feathers of the great tit (Parus major). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- The Barn Owl Foundation, Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csizmadia
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Lőw
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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20
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Eliason CM, Andersen MJ, Hackett SJ. Using Historical Biogeography Models to Study Color Pattern Evolution. Syst Biol 2019; 68:755-766. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Color is among the most striking features of organisms, varying not only in spectral properties like hue and brightness, but also in where and how it is produced on the body. Different combinations of colors on a bird’s body are important in both environmental and social contexts. Previous comparative studies have treated plumage patches individually or derived plumage complexity scores from color measurements across a bird’s body. However, these approaches do not consider the multivariate nature of plumages (allowing for plumage to evolve as a whole) or account for interpatch distances. Here, we leverage a rich toolkit used in historical biogeography to assess color pattern evolution in a cosmopolitan radiation of birds, kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae). We demonstrate the utility of this approach and test hypotheses about the tempo and mode of color evolution in kingfishers. Our results highlight the importance of considering interpatch distances in understanding macroevolutionary trends in color diversity and demonstrate how historical biogeography models are a useful way to model plumage color pattern evolution. Furthermore, they show that distinct color mechanisms (pigments or structural colors) spread across the body in different ways and at different rates. Specifically, net rates are higher for structural colors than pigment-based colors. Together, our study suggests a role for both development and selection in driving extraordinary color pattern diversity in kingfishers. We anticipate this approach will be useful for modeling other complex phenotypes besides color, such as parasite evolution across the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Eliason
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael J Andersen
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Shannon J Hackett
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
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21
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D'Alba L, Shawkey MD. Melanosomes: Biogenesis, Properties, and Evolution of an Ancient Organelle. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1-19. [PMID: 30255724 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00059.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanosomes are organelles that produce and store melanin, a widespread biological pigment with a unique suite of properties including high refractive index, semiconducting capabilities, material stiffness, and high fossilization potential. They are involved in numerous critical biological functions in organisms across the tree of life. Individual components such as melanin chemistry and melanosome development have recently been addressed, but a broad synthesis is needed. Here, we review the hierarchical structure, development, functions, and evolution of melanosomes. We highlight variation in melanin chemistry and melanosome morphology and how these may relate to function. For example, we review what is known of the chemical differences between different melanin types (eumelanin, pheomelanin, allomelanin) and whether/how melanosome morphology relates to chemistry and color. We integrate the distribution of melanin across living organisms with what is known from the fossil record and produce hypotheses on its evolution. We suggest that melanin was present in life forms early in evolutionary history and that melanosomes evolved at the origin of organelles. Throughout, we discuss the (sometimes gaping) holes in our knowledge and suggest areas that need particular attention as we move forward in our understanding of these still-mysterious organelles and the materials that they contain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent , Ghent , Belgium
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22
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Gruson H, Andraud C, Daney de Marcillac W, Berthier S, Elias M, Gomez D. Quantitative characterization of iridescent colours in biological studies: a novel method using optical theory. Interface Focus 2018; 9:20180049. [PMID: 30603069 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Iridescent colours are colours that change with viewing or illumination geometry. While they are widespread in many living organisms, most evolutionary studies on iridescence do not take into account their full complexity. Few studies try to precisely characterize what makes iridescent colours special: their angular dependency. Yet, it is likely that this angular dependency has biological functions and is therefore submitted to evolutionary pressures. For this reason, evolutionary biologists need a repeatable method to measure iridescent colours as well as variables to precisely quantify the angular dependency. In this study, we use a theoretical approach to propose five variables that allow one to fully describe iridescent colours at every angle combination. Based on the results, we propose a new measurement protocol and statistical method to reliably characterize iridescence while minimizing the required number of time-consuming measurements. We use hummingbird iridescent feathers and butterfly iridescent wings as test cases to demonstrate the strengths of this new method. We show that our method is precise enough to be potentially used at intraspecific level while being also time-efficient enough to encompass large taxonomic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Gruson
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Andraud
- CRC, MNHN, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Marianne Elias
- ISYEB, CNRS, MNHN, EPHE, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Doris Gomez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.,INSP, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
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23
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Burg SL, Parnell AJ. Self-assembling structural colour in nature. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2018; 30:413001. [PMID: 30137023 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aadc95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The diversity and vividness of structural colour in the natural world have been recognised as far back as William Hooke in the 17th century. Whilst it is only recently that advances in the field have revealed the elegance and finesse of the physics used to create these effects. In this topical review we will highlight some of the structures and effects responsible for colour in butterfly scales, bird feathers, plants, insects and beetle elytra that have been studied to date. We will discuss the structures responsible and look at similarities and differences in these structures between species. This will be alongside our current understanding of how these are created biologically, how they develop structurally and what control mechanisms nature has at its disposal to control structure formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Burg
- The Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
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24
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Kötél D, Csizmadia T, Lőw P, Rosivall B, Szöllősi E, Török J. Reflectance variation in the blue tit crown in relation to feather structure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.176727. [PMID: 29615523 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.176727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Structural plumage colour is one of the most enigmatic sexually selected traits. The information content of structural colour variation is debated, and the heterogeneity of the findings is hard to explain because the proximate background of within-species colour differences is very scarcely studied. We combined measurements of feather macrostructure and nanostructure to explain within-population variability in blue tit crown reflectance. We found that sexual dichromatism in aspects of crown reflectance was explained only by feather macrostructure, whereas nanostructural predictors accounted for some of the age-related differences in reflectance. Moreover, we found that both mean reflectance and spectral shape traits reflected a combination of quantity and regularity aspects in macrostructure and nanostructure. This rich proximate background provides ample scope for reflectance to convey various types of information on individual quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,The Barn Owl Foundation, Temesvári út 8, H-8744 Orosztony, Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csizmadia
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Lőw
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Rosivall
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Szöllősi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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25
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Stavenga DG, van der Kooi CJ, Wilts BD. Structural coloured feathers of mallards act by simple multilayer photonics. J R Soc Interface 2018; 14:rsif.2017.0407. [PMID: 28768883 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The blue colours of the speculum of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), both male and female, and the green head feathers of the male arise from light interacting with stacks of melanosomes residing in the feather barbules. Here, we show that the iridescent colours can be quantitatively explained with an optical multilayer model by using a position-dependent effective refractive index, which results from the varying ratio of melanin and keratin. Reflectance spectra obtained by multilayer modelling and three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain calculations were virtually identical. The spectral properties of the barbules' photonic structures are sensitive to variations in the multilayer period and the cortex thickness, but they are surprisingly robust to variations in the spatial parameters of the barbules' melanosome stacks. The blue and green reflectance spectra of the structural-coloured feathers correspond with the sensitivity spectra of the short- and middle-wavelength-sensitive photoreceptors, indicating their biological significance for intraspecific signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doekele G Stavenga
- Computational Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Casper J van der Kooi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bodo D Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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26
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Stavenga DG, Leertouwer HL, Wilts BD. Magnificent magpie colours by feathers with layers of hollow melanosomes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.174656. [PMID: 29361607 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.174656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The blue secondary and purple-to-green tail feathers of magpies are structurally coloured owing to stacks of hollow, air-containing melanosomes embedded in the keratin matrix of the barbules. We investigated the spectral and spatial reflection characteristics of the feathers by applying (micro)spectrophotometry and imaging scatterometry. To interpret the spectral data, we performed optical modelling, applying the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method as well as an effective media approach, treating the melanosome stacks as multi-layers with effective refractive indices dependent on the component media. The differently coloured magpie feathers are realised by adjusting the melanosome size, with the diameter of the melanosomes as well as their hollowness being the most sensitive parameters that influence the appearance of the feathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doekele G Stavenga
- Computational Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, NL-9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hein L Leertouwer
- Computational Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, NL-9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bodo D Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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27
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Tadepalli S, Slocik JM, Gupta MK, Naik RR, Singamaneni S. Bio-Optics and Bio-Inspired Optical Materials. Chem Rev 2017; 117:12705-12763. [PMID: 28937748 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Through the use of the limited materials palette, optimally designed micro- and nanostructures, and tightly regulated processes, nature demonstrates exquisite control of light-matter interactions at various length scales. In fact, control of light-matter interactions is an important element in the evolutionary arms race and has led to highly engineered optical materials and systems. In this review, we present a detailed summary of various optical effects found in nature with a particular emphasis on the materials and optical design aspects responsible for their optical functionality. Using several representative examples, we discuss various optical phenomena, including absorption and transparency, diffraction, interference, reflection and antireflection, scattering, light harvesting, wave guiding and lensing, camouflage, and bioluminescence, that are responsible for the unique optical properties of materials and structures found in nature and biology. Great strides in understanding the design principles adapted by nature have led to a tremendous progress in realizing biomimetic and bioinspired optical materials and photonic devices. We discuss the various micro- and nanofabrication techniques that have been employed for realizing advanced biomimetic optical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirimuvva Tadepalli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | | | | | | | - Srikanth Singamaneni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
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28
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Xiao M, Hu Z, Wang Z, Li Y, Tormo AD, Le Thomas N, Wang B, Gianneschi NC, Shawkey MD, Dhinojwala A. Bioinspired bright noniridescent photonic melanin supraballs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1701151. [PMID: 28929137 PMCID: PMC5600532 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Structural colors enable the creation of a spectrum of nonfading colors without pigments, potentially replacing toxic metal oxides and conjugated organic pigments. However, significant challenges remain to achieve the contrast needed for a complete gamut of colors and a scalable process for industrial application. We demonstrate a feasible solution for producing structural colors inspired by bird feathers. We have designed core-shell nanoparticles using high-refractive index (RI) (~1.74) melanin cores and low-RI (~1.45) silica shells. The design of these nanoparticles was guided by finite-difference time-domain simulations. These nanoparticles were self-assembled using a one-pot reverse emulsion process, which resulted in bright and noniridescent supraballs. With the combination of only two ingredients, synthetic melanin and silica, we can generate a full spectrum of colors. These supraballs could be directly added to paints, plastics, and coatings and also used as ultraviolet-resistant inks or cosmetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Xiao
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Ziying Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yiwen Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
| | - Alejandro Diaz Tormo
- Photonics Research Group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University–imec, Center for Nano- and Biophotonics (NB-Photonics), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Le Thomas
- Photonics Research Group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University–imec, Center for Nano- and Biophotonics (NB-Photonics), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Boxiang Wang
- Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Nathan C. Gianneschi
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Corresponding author. (A.D.); (M.D.S.); (N.C.G.)
| | - Matthew D. Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, The University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
- Corresponding author. (A.D.); (M.D.S.); (N.C.G.)
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
- Corresponding author. (A.D.); (M.D.S.); (N.C.G.)
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29
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Chatelain M, Pessato A, Frantz A, Gasparini J, Leclaire S. Do trace metals influence visual signals? Effects of trace metals on iridescent and melanic feather colouration in the feral pigeon. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
- Warsaw Univ., Center of New Technologies, S. Banacha 2c; PL-02-097 Warsaw Poland
| | - Anaϊs Pessato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Julien Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Inst. d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris; Paris France
| | - Sarah Leclaire
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS; Montpellier France
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 (CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, ENFA); Toulouse France
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30
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Yang X, Ge D, Wu G, Liao Z, Yang S. Production of Structural Colors with High Contrast and Wide Viewing Angles from Assemblies of Polypyrrole Black Coated Polystyrene Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:16289-95. [PMID: 27322393 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b03739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Structural color with wide viewing angles has enormous potential applications in pigment, ink formulation, displays, and sensors. However, colors obtained from colloidal assemblies with low refractive index contrast or without black additives typically appear pale. Here, we prepare polypyrrole (PPy) black coated polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles and demonstrate well-defined colors with high color contrast and wide viewing angles under ambient light. Depending on the loading of pyrrole during polymerization, PPy nanogranules of different sizes and coverages are grafted to the surface of PS nanoparticles. The bumpy particles can self-assemble into quasi-amorphous arrays, resulting in low angle dependent structure colors under ambient light. The color can be tuned by the size of the PS nanoparticles, and the presence of the PPy black on PS nanoparticles enhances the color contrast by suppressing incoherent and multiple scattering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, United States
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Design and Precision Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University , Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Dengteng Ge
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, United States
- Institute of Functional Materials, Donghua University , Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Gaoxiang Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, United States
| | - Zhiwei Liao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, United States
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 19104, United States
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31
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Jordan TM, Wilby D, Chiou TH, Feller KD, Caldwell RL, Cronin TW, Roberts NW. A shape-anisotropic reflective polarizer in a stomatopod crustacean. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21744. [PMID: 26883448 PMCID: PMC4756290 DOI: 10.1038/srep21744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biophotonic structures have their spectral properties of reflection ‘tuned’ using the (zeroth-order) Bragg criteria for phase constructive interference. This is associated with a periodicity, or distribution of periodicities, parallel to the direction of illumination. The polarization properties of these reflections are, however, typically constrained by the dimensional symmetry and intrinsic dielectric properties of the biological materials. Here we report a linearly polarizing reflector in a stomatopod crustacean that consists of 6–8 layers of hollow, ovoid vesicles with principal axes of ~550 nm, ~250 nm and ~150 nm. The reflection of unpolarized normally incident light is blue/green in colour with maximum reflectance wavelength of 520 nm and a degree of polarization greater than 0.6 over most of the visible spectrum. We demonstrate that the polarizing reflection can be explained by a resonant coupling with the first-order, in-plane, Bragg harmonics. These harmonics are associated with a distribution of periodicities perpendicular to the direction of illumination, and, due to the shape-anisotropy of the vesicles, are different for each linear polarization mode. This control and tuning of the polarization of the reflection using shape-anisotropic hollow scatterers is unlike any optical structure previously described and could provide a new design pathway for polarization-tunability in man-made photonic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Jordan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - David Wilby
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TL, UK
| | - Tsyr-Huei Chiou
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Kathryn D Feller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Roy L Caldwell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Thomas W Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, USA
| | - Nicholas W Roberts
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, School of Physics, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TL, UK
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32
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Nan F, Chen Q, Liu P, Nagarajan S, Duan Y, Zhang J. Iridescent graphene/cellulose nanocrystal film with water response and highly electrical conductivity. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra20133d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-assembly of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and thermal reduced graphene (TRG) leads to composite films with highly ordered, layered structures at submicrometer level, which can be reversibly changed by the hydration or dehydration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuchun Nan
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
| | - Qi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
| | - Ping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
| | - S. Nagarajan
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
| | - Yongxin Duan
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
| | - Jianming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Ministry of Education
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics
- Qingdao University of Science & Technology
- Qingdao City 266042
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33
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Spatially modulated structural colour in bird feathers. Sci Rep 2015; 5:18317. [PMID: 26686280 PMCID: PMC4685390 DOI: 10.1038/srep18317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) feathers display periodic variations in the reflected colour from white through light blue, dark blue and black. We find the structures responsible for the colour are continuous in their size and spatially controlled by the degree of spinodal phase separation in the corresponding region of the feather barb. Blue structures have a well-defined broadband ultra-violet (UV) to blue wavelength distribution; the corresponding nanostructure has characteristic spinodal morphology with a lengthscale of order 150 nm. White regions have a larger 200 nm nanostructure, consistent with a spinodal process that has coarsened further, yielding broader wavelength white reflectance. Our analysis shows that nanostructure in single bird feather barbs can be varied continuously by controlling the time the keratin network is allowed to phase separate before mobility in the system is arrested. Dynamic scaling analysis of the single barb scattering data implies that the phase separation arrest mechanism is rapid and also distinct from the spinodal phase separation mechanism i.e. it is not gelation or intermolecular re-association. Any growing lengthscale using this spinodal phase separation approach must first traverse the UV and blue wavelength regions, growing the structure by coarsening, resulting in a broad distribution of domain sizes.
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34
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Jordan TM, Partridge JC, Roberts NW. Disordered animal multilayer reflectors and the localization of light. J R Soc Interface 2015; 11:20140948. [PMID: 25339688 PMCID: PMC4223918 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multilayer optical reflectors constructed from 'stacks' of alternating layers of high and low refractive index dielectric materials are present in many animals. For example, stacks of guanine crystals with cytoplasm gaps occur within the skin and scales of fish, and stacks of protein platelets with cytoplasm gaps occur within the iridophores of cephalopods. Common to all these animal multilayer reflectors are different degrees of random variation in the thicknesses of the individual layers in the stack, ranging from highly periodic structures to strongly disordered systems. However, previous discussions of the optical effects of such thickness disorder have been made without quantitative reference to the propagation of light within the reflector. Here, we demonstrate that Anderson localization provides a general theoretical framework to explain the common coherent interference and optical properties of these biological reflectors. Firstly, we illustrate how the localization length enables the spectral properties of the reflections from more weakly disordered 'coloured' and more strongly disordered 'silvery' reflectors to be explained by the same physical process. Secondly, we show how the polarization properties of reflection can be controlled within guanine-cytoplasm reflectors, with an interplay of birefringence and thickness disorder explaining the origin of broadband polarization-insensitive reflectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Jordan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences, University of Bristol, Queens Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
| | - J C Partridge
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK School of Animal Biology and the Oceans Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway (M317), Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - N W Roberts
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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35
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Xiao M, Li Y, Allen MC, Deheyn DD, Yue X, Zhao J, Gianneschi NC, Shawkey MD, Dhinojwala A. Bio-Inspired Structural Colors Produced via Self-Assembly of Synthetic Melanin Nanoparticles. ACS NANO 2015; 9:5454-60. [PMID: 25938924 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b01298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Structural colors arising from interactions of light with submicron scale periodic structures have been found in many species across all taxa, serving multiple biological functions including sexual signaling, camouflage, and aposematism. Directly inspired by the extensive use of self-assembled melanosomes to produce colors in avian feathers, we set out to synthesize and assemble polydopamine-based synthetic melanin nanoparticles in an effort to fabricate colored films. We have quantitatively demonstrated that synthetic melanin nanoparticles have a high refractive index and broad absorption spanning across the UV-visible range, similar to natural melanins. Utilizing a thin-film interference model, we demonstrated the coloration mechanism of deposited films and showed that the unique optical properties of synthetic melanin nanoparticles provide advantages for structural colors over other polymeric nanoparticles (i.e., polystyrene colloidal particles).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Xiao
- †Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | - Michael C Allen
- §Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Dimitri D Deheyn
- §Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | | | - Jiuzhou Zhao
- †Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | - Matthew D Shawkey
- ∥Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- †Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
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36
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Lee CC, Liao SF, Vukusic P. Measuring and modelling the reflectance spectra of male Swinhoe's pheasant feather barbules. J R Soc Interface 2015; 12:rsif.2014.1354. [PMID: 25788537 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A range of iridescent colour appearances are presented by male Swinhoe's pheasants' (Lophura swinhoii) mantle feathers. Two distinct regions of the open pennaceous portion of its feathers display particularly conspicuous angle-dependent reflection. A bright blue band appears in one region at normal incidence that spatially shifts to another at higher illumination angles. The two-dimensional photonic crystal-like nanostructures inside the barbules of these two regions are similar. However, this study found that the spatial variation in their colour appearance results from a continuously changing orientation of barbules with respect to the alignment of their associated barb. A multi-layered rigorous coupled-wave analysis approach was used to model the reflections from the identified intra-barbule structures. Well-matched simulated and measured reflectance spectra, at both normal and oblique incidence, support our elucidation of the origin of the bird's distinctive feather colour appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chung Lee
- Department of Optics and Photonics, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan Thin Film Technology Center, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Fang Liao
- Department of Optics and Photonics, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan Thin Film Technology Center, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan
| | - Pete Vukusic
- School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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37
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Eliason CM, Maia R, Shawkey MD. Modular color evolution facilitated by a complex nanostructure in birds. Evolution 2015; 69:357-67. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Eliason
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325
- Current address: Department of Integrative Biology; University of Texas; Austin Texas 78712
| | - Rafael Maia
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325
| | - Matthew D. Shawkey
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325
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38
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Shawkey MD, D'Alba L, Xiao M, Schutte M, Buchholz R. Ontogeny of an iridescent nanostructure composed of hollow melanosomes. J Morphol 2014; 276:378-84. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Shawkey
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325-3908 USA
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325-3908 USA
| | - Ming Xiao
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325-3908 USA
- Department of Polymer Science; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325-3909 USA
| | - Matthew Schutte
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program; The University of Akron; Akron Ohio 44325-3908 USA
| | - Richard Buchholz
- Department of Biology; University of Mississippi; University; Mississippi 38677-1848 USA
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39
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Xiao M, Dhinojwala A, Shawkey M. Nanostructural basis of rainbow-like iridescence in common bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera feathers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2014; 22:14625-14636. [PMID: 24977558 DOI: 10.1364/oe.22.014625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Structural colors are common in nature. Generally single feathers or other integuments contain only one structural color, but those of the common bronzewing display a consistent color gradient from blue to red (462-647 nm) over the proximo-distal length of individual barbs. We used optical microscopy and macro- and micro-spectrophotometry to characterize this color gradient, and transmission electron microscopy to investigate the nanostructure. Combining optical modeling and experimental results, we demonstrate that the rainbow-like iridescence is caused by multilayer interference from organized arrays of melanosome rods in a keratin matrix and that the color gradient results from subtle shifts in both diameter and spacing of melanosome rods. This result illustrates tight developmental control feathers and may provide inspiration for the design of multi-colored coatings or fibers.
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40
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Khudiyev T, Dogan T, Bayindir M. Biomimicry of multifunctional nanostructures in the neck feathers of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos L.) drakes. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4718. [PMID: 24751587 PMCID: PMC3994447 DOI: 10.1038/srep04718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological systems serve as fundamental sources of inspiration for the development of artificially colored devices, and their investigation provides a great number of photonic design opportunities. While several successful biomimetic designs have been detailed in the literature, conventional fabrication techniques nonetheless remain inferior to their natural counterparts in complexity, ease of production and material economy. Here, we investigate the iridescent neck feathers of Anas platyrhynchos drakes, show that they feature an unusual arrangement of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals and further exhibit a superhydrophobic surface, and mimic this multifunctional structure using a nanostructure composite fabricated by a recently developed top-down iterative size reduction method, which avoids the above-mentioned fabrication challenges, provides macroscale control and enhances hydrophobicity through the surface structure. Our 2D solid core photonic crystal fibres strongly resemble drake neck plumage in structure and fully polymeric material composition, and can be produced in wide array of colors by minor alterations during the size reduction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tural Khudiyev
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Tamer Dogan
- 1] UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey [2] Department of Physics, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Bayindir
- 1] UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey [2] Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey [3] Department of Physics, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
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41
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Eliason CM, Bitton PP, Shawkey MD. How hollow melanosomes affect iridescent colour production in birds. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131505. [PMID: 23902909 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental constraints and trade-offs can limit diversity, but organisms have repeatedly evolved morphological innovations that overcome these limits by expanding the range and functionality of traits. Iridescent colours in birds are commonly produced by melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) organized into nanostructured arrays within feather barbules. Variation in array type (e.g. multilayers and photonic crystals, PCs) is known to have remarkable effects on plumage colour, but the optical consequences of variation in melanosome shape remain poorly understood. Here, we used a combination of spectrophotometric, experimental and theoretical methods to test how melanosome hollowness--a morphological innovation largely restricted to birds--affects feather colour. Optical analyses of hexagonal close-packed arrays of hollow melanosomes in two species, wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and violet-backed starlings (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster), indicated that they function as two-dimensional PCs. Incorporation of a larger dataset and optical modelling showed that, compared with solid melanosomes, hollow melanosomes allow birds to produce distinct colours with the same energetically favourable, close-packed configurations. These data suggest that a morphological novelty has, at least in part, allowed birds to achieve their vast morphological and colour diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Eliason
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, USA.
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42
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Key ornamental innovations facilitate diversification in an avian radiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10687-92. [PMID: 23754395 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220784110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of biodiversity are often explained by ecological processes, where traits that promote novel ways of interacting with the environment (key innovations) play a fundamental role in promoting diversification. However, sexual selection and social competition can also promote diversification through rapid evolution of ornamental traits. Because selection can operate only on existing variation, the tendency of ornamental traits to constrain or enable the production of novel phenotypes is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of diversification. Starlings are a speciose group characterized by diverse iridescent colors produced by nanometer-scale arrays of melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) that play a central role in sexual selection and social competition. We show that evolutionary lability of these colors is associated with both morphological and lineage diversification in African starlings. The solid rod-like melanosome morphology has evolved in a directional manner into three more optically complex forms that can produce a broader range of colors than the ancestral form, resulting in (i) faster color evolution, (ii) the occupation of novel, previously unreachable regions of colorspace, and ultimately (iii) accelerated lineage diversification. As in adaptive radiations, key innovations in ornament production can provide high phenotypic trait variability, leading to dramatic effects on the tempo and mode of diversification.
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