Squid inspire heat-regulating fabrics

A material that radiates or traps body heat as it is stretched or released could lead to smart apparel whose warmth wearers could adjust to stay comfortable during exercise or when the weather changes ( APL Bioeng. 2024, DOI: 10.1063/5.0169558 ). Think of the material as an adaptable, comfortable version of the foil blankets that keep marathoners and people in disaster zones warm by reflecting and trapping body heat. “It is as breathable as cotton, washable , and can be integrated into any fabric,” says Alon Gorodetsky , a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine. Gorodetsky and colleagues were inspired by the color-changing ability of squid. The cephalopods rapidly expand or contract pigment-loaded sacs in their skin, and this changes the wavelength of light their skin reflects and transmits. Instead of reflecting visible light, the researchers’ material reflects varying levels of infrared heat radiation .