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SIGNIFICANCE. "The identification of these key components in JA perception and signalling allowed identification of downstream targets, the transcription factors (TFs), acting specifically in numerous JA-dependent processes. This led to the first mechanistic explanations of how cross-talk among the different hormones and signalling pathways may occur." https://lnkd.in/edPEBi9 View in LinkedIn

WING SCALES. "Photonic crystals (PCs) based on the geometry of oriented triply-periodic gyroid surfaces have been found in wing scales of several butterfly species. This consolidated chitin net has been linked to structural color. As we show here, chirality causes circular dichroic effects." https://lnkd.in/e7bW_yP View in LinkedIn

CHIRAL LIGHT. "Circular dichroism (CD) is dichroism involving circularly polarized light, i.e., the differential absorption of left- and right-handed light. Left-hand circular (LHC) and right-hand circular (RHC) polarized light represent two possible spin angular momentum states for a photon, and so circular dichroism is also referred to as dichroism for spin angular momentum." https://lnkd.in/eMeaKxt View in LinkedIn

BIRDS OF A FEATHER. "Recently, more and more interest has been focused on the chiral metamaterial (CMM) structures due to their attractive EM (optical) properties such as strong optical activity, circular dichroism (CD) and negative refractive index (NRI) from microwave to optical range." https://lnkd.in/ed4yX2s View in LinkedIn

CLOSE BUT DISTINCT. Circular dichroism and refractive index are very closely related, but distinct, functions of light waves. https://lnkd.in/e9xgZiY View in LinkedIn

GYNOIDS AND DICHROISM. Circular dichroism in natural gyroid chiral materials has been described. These are among the many ways in which photons are manipulated in the natural world. (Section 3.4). https://lnkd.in/esVfatc View in LinkedIn

FEATHERS AND BUTTERFLY WING SCALES, as well as beetle shells, are known for their complex photonics, but their refractive indexes are all positive. Metamaterials do seem to create a negative refractive index that not known in nature, thus far. https://lnkd.in/eRSFeKH View in LinkedIn

NATURE NEGATIVE? The apparent lack of negative refractive index materials in nature is surprising because some of the constructed metamaterials closely resemble diatom silica fustules, with periodic photonic crystals and a band gap. And closely resemble other naturally occurring photonic crystals. https://lnkd.in/eBgqN6u View in LinkedIn

NORMALLY, the seemingly infinite innovation of natural structures has been highly instructive for man-made creations, and spawned biomimicry as an inspiration for solving complex material problems. It is hard to think of man-made physical phenomena and properties that do not have correlates in nature. View in LinkedIn

NATURE IS REPLETE with examples of sophisticated molecular structures that manipulate photons. Most of modern electronics was anticipated by these structures. But the apparent absence of a negative refractive index in nature is confounding. View in LinkedIn