Projects per year
Abstract
The structural colour of male Hoplia coerulea beetles is notable for changing from blue to green upon contact with water. In fact, reversible changes in both colour and fluorescence are induced in this beetle by various liquids, although the mechanism has never been fully explained. Changes enacted by water are much faster than those by ethanol, in spite of ethanols more rapid spread across the elytral surface. Moreover, the beetles photonic structure is enclosed by a thin scale envelope preventing direct contact with the liquid. Here, we note the presence of sodium, potassium and calcium salts in the scale material that mediate the penetration of liquid through putative micropores. The result leads to the novel concept of aphotonic cell: namely, a biocompatible photonic structure that is encased by a permeable envelope which mediates liquid-induced colour changes in that photonic structure. Engineered photonic cells dispersed in culture media could revolutionize the monitoring of cell-metabolism.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 19322 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Scientific Reports |
Volume | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 13 Jan 2016 |
Keywords
- Photonic bandgap materials
- Photonic crystals
- Color
- porosity
- Beetle
- Beetle scale
- Colorimetry
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Projects
- 1 Finished
Equipment
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ELISE (XPS and ToF SIMS)
Pierre Louette (Manager) & Stéphane Lucas (Manager)
Physics of Matter and RadiationFacility/equipment: Equipment
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High Performance Computing Technology Platform
Benoît Champagne (Manager)
Technological Platform High Performance ComputingFacility/equipment: Technological Platform
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Morphology - Imaging
Charles Nicaise (Manager) & Francesca Cecchet (Manager)
Technological Platform Morphology - ImagingFacility/equipment: Technological Platform
Activities
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Belgian Physical Society (BPS) General Scientific Meeting 2017
Sébastien Mouchet (Poster)
17 May 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Optical Biomimetics
Sébastien Mouchet (Speaker)
24 Apr 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Plymouth Marine Laboratory – University of Exeter Research Day
Sébastien Mouchet (Poster)
24 Apr 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
Press / Media
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Physique optique : des coléoptères aident à la recherche fondamentale
Sébastien Mouchet & Jean-Pol Vigneron
19/03/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Other
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Des capteurs de gaz intelligents inspirés de la biologie
6/04/16
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Student Theses
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Mécanismes fondamentaux de la coloration structurale : addiction et induction de couleurs
Author: Mouchet, S., 29 Sep 2015Supervisor: Deparis, O. (Supervisor), Su, B. L. (Jury), Lepere, M. (President), Vukusic, P. (External person) (Jury), Berthier, S. (External person) (Jury) & Voué, M. (External person) (Jury)
Student thesis: Doc types › Doctor of Sciences