Effective thermal management is critical for the operation of many modern technologies, such as electronic circuits, smart clothing, and building environment control systems. By leveraging the static infrared-reflecting design of the space blanket and drawing inspiration from the dynamic color-changing ability of squid skin, we have developed a composite material with tunable thermoregulatory properties. Our material demonstrates an on/off switching ratio of ~25 for the transmittance, regulates a heat flux of ~36 W/m 2 with an estimated mechanical power input of ~3 W/m 2 , and features a dynamic environmental setpoint temperature window of ~8 °C. Moreover, the composite can manage one fourth of the metabolic heat flux expected for a sedentary individual and can also modulate localized changes in a wearer’s body temperature by nearly 10-fold. Due to such functionality and associated figures of merit, our material may substantially reduce building energy consumption upon widespread deployment and adoption.

The related concepts of disguising an object or physically changing it to resemble something entirely different have long captivated the human imagination. Although such notions are seemingly derived from fables and science fiction, cephalopods have perfected analogous capabilities over millions of years of natural evolution. Consequently, these invertebrates have emerged as exciting sources of inspiration for futuristic adaptive camouflage and shapeshifter-like technologies. Herein, we provide an overview of selected literature examples that have used cephalopods as models for the development of novel adaptive materials, devices, and systems. We in turn highlight some significant remaining challenges and potential future directions for such studies. Through this perspective, we hope to stimulate additional dialogue and continued scientific exploration within the area of cephalopod-inspired dynamic materials.

Films from the cephalopod protein reflectin demonstrate multifaceted functionality as infrared camouflage coatings, proton transport media, and substrates for growth of neural stem cells. A detailed study of the in vitro formation, structural characteristics, and stimulus response of such films is presented. The reported observations hold implications for the design and development of advanced cephalopod-inspired functional materials.

Electroactive bacterial biofilms can function as living biomaterials that merge the functionality of living cells with electronic components. However, the development of such advanced living electronics has been challenged by the inability to control the geometry of electroactive biofilms relative to solid-state electrodes. Here, we developed a lithographic strategy to pattern conductive biofilms of Shewanella oneidensis by controlling aggregation protein CdrAB expression with a blue light-induced genetic circuit. This controlled deposition enabled S. oneidensis biofilm patterning on transparent electrode surfaces, and electrochemical measurements allowed us to both demonstrate tunable conduction dependent on pattern size and quantify the intrinsic conductivity of the living biofilms. The intrinsic biofilm conductivity measurements enabled us to experimentally confirm predictions based on simulations of a recently proposed collision-exchange electron transport mechanism. Overall, we developed a facile technique for controlling electroactive biofilm formation on electrodes, with implications for both studying and harnessing bioelectronics.

Naturally occurring and recombinant protein-based materials are frequently employed for the study of fundamental biological processes and are often leveraged for applications in areas as diverse as electronics, optics, bioengineering, medicine, and even fashion. Within this context, unique structural proteins known as reflectins have recently attracted substantial attention due to their key roles in the fascinating color-changing capabilities of cephalopods and their technological potential as biophotonic and bioelectronic materials. However, progress toward understanding reflectins has been hindered by their atypical aromatic and charged residue-enriched sequences, extreme sensitivities to subtle changes in environmental conditions, and well-known propensities for aggregation. Herein, we elucidate the structure of a reflectin variant at the molecular level, demonstrate a straightforward mechanical agitation-based methodology for controlling this variant’s hierarchical assembly, and establish a direct correlation between the protein’s structural characteristics and intrinsic optical properties. Altogether, our findings address multiple challenges associated with the development of reflectins as materials, furnish molecular-level insight into the mechanistic underpinnings of cephalopod skin cells’ color-changing functionalities, and may inform new research directions across biochemistry, cellular biology, bioengineering, and optics.