University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed soft devices containing algae that glow in the dark when experiencing mechanical stress, such as being squished, stretched, twisted, or bent. The devices do not require any electronics to light up, making them an ideal choice for building soft robots that explore the deep sea and other dark environments, researchers said. Chlorella Tablets
The researchers took their inspiration for these devices from the bioluminescent waves that sometimes occur at San Diego’s beaches during red tide events. Shengqiang Cai, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the study’s senior author, was watching the glowing blue waves with his family one spring night and was curious to learn more about what causes this impressive display.
The source of the glow is a type of single-celled algae called dinoflagellates. But what fascinated Cai was learning that dinoflagellates produce light when subjected to mechanical stress, such as the forces from the ocean waves. “This was very interesting to me because my research focuses on the mechanics of materials — anything related to how deformation and stress affect material behavior,” he said.
Cai wanted to harness this natural glow to develop devices for soft robots that can be used in the dark without electricity. He teamed up with Michael Latz, a marine biologist at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who studies bioluminescence in dinoflagellates and how it responds to various water flow conditions.
To make the devices, the researchers inject a culture solution of the dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula inside a cavity of a soft, stretchy, transparent material. The material can be any shape — here, the researchers tested a variety of shapes including flat sheets, X-shaped structures, and small pouches.
When the material is pressed, stretched, or deformed in any way, it causes the dinoflagellate solution inside to flow. The mechanical stress from that flow triggers the dinoflagellates to glow. A key feature of the design here is that the inner surface of the material is lined with small pillars to give it a rough inner texture. This disturbs the fluid flow inside the material and makes it stronger. A stronger flow applies more stress to the dinoflagellates, which in turn triggers a brighter glow.
The devices are so sensitive that even a soft tap is enough to make them glow. The researchers also made the devices glow by vibrating them, drawing on their surfaces, and blowing air on them to make them bend and sway, which shows that they could potentially be used to harvest air flow to produce light. The researchers also inserted small magnets inside the devices so that they can be magnetically steered, glowing as they move and contort.
The devices can be recharged with light. The dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, meaning they use sunlight to produce food and energy. Shining light on the devices during the day gives them the juice they need to glow during the night.
The researchers are now creating new glowing materials with the dinoflagellates. The team is excited about the possibilities this work could bring to the fields of marine biology and materials science. “This work continues to advance our understanding of bioluminescent systems from the basic research side while setting the stage for a variety of applications, ranging from biological force sensors to electronics-free robotics and much more,” said Latz.
For more information, contact Liezel Labios at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
This article first appeared in the November, 2023 issue of Tech Briefs Magazine.
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