In a recent review published in Nature Reviews Rhe

Scientists have changed the degree of transparency of human cells in a laboratory, according to a study. It is hoped the technique, inspired by see-through sea creatures, will help us gain a deeper understanding of our biological processes. … To conduct the study, Alon Gorodetsky of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues genetically engineered human cells—which are relatively transparent—to express reflectin.

“We actually designed, prototyped and built these air levitation skis ourselves,” said Arwa Tizani, UC Irvine team captain. Tizani just graduated with a civil engineering major and is doing her masters at UC Irvine as well in mechanical and aerospace engineering. “I love this. This project has changed my life,” said Tizani.

“The squid’s ability to rapidly and reversibly transition from transparent to colored is remarkable,” said study co-author Alon Gorodetsky, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UC Irvine.

The device is made using Shrinky Dinks – plastic sheets that shrink to a fraction of their original size when heated. They are popular among children because they can be coloured and cut into shapes before shrinking. … It could be a useful tool for monitoring people with chronic lung conditions, such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, says Michelle Khine at the University of California, Irvine, who led the team. People will use the device by sticking it to their lower ribs.

At a meeting I can really pay attention to the presentations and think about the new work that is being reported,” says [associate professor] Iryna Zenyuk, who leads a group developing fuel-cell and hydrogen technologies at the University of California, Irvine.

Now Mahmoud Abdelgalil, [a mechanical & aerospace engineering graduate student] at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues have discovered an unexpected synergy between established sperm navigation models and concepts from control theory. They developed a robust navigation model that relies on a single parameter: the local concentration gradient of the chemical the sperm cells track. The team says that their model could be used to describe the motion of other organisms that move in response to chemical gradients.