Bioengineering 'Hack' Allows Scientists to Recreate Octopus Camouflage Pigment Using Bacteria

Bioengineering 'Hack' Allows Scientists to Recreate Octopus Camouflage Pigment Using Bacteria

Scientists at UC San Diego have successfully used bacteria to reproduce a unique pigment that allows octopuses to blend in with their surroundings, according to newly published research. In nature, octopuses can blend in with coral reefs and other features in their environment, as well as flash warning stripes in seconds, thanks to a pigment known as xanthommatin.  Now, achieving yields much higher than in earlier attempts, the team behind the s…

Xanthommatin: Scientists teach bacteria the octopus's secret to camouflage

Researchers have engineered bacteria to produce xanthommatin, the pigment that enables cephalopod camouflage. This biotechnological leap creates a sustainable, high-yield method for producing the coveted, colour-changing compound for cosmetics and materials science Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) have achieved a biotechnological leap by successfully engineering bacteria to produce xanthommatin, the pigment re…