Scientists from the University of California at Irvine have resolved the mystery of color-shifting squid. Inspired by the squid’s ability to become invisible, the scientists have created ‘invisibility stickers’ by using a protein found in squid skin. This might make soldiers invisible to thermal sensing and night vision devices like infrared camera.

Alon Gorodetsky from University of California at Irvine said that soldiers wear uniforms with the familiar green and brown camouflage patterns, which helps them to blend into vegetation during the day. However, they are susceptible to infrared detection at night and under low light.

He added, “We've developed stickers for use as a thin, flexible layer of camo with the potential to take on a pattern that will better match the soldiers' infrared reflectance to their background and hide them from active infrared visualization”.

Gorodetsky and his colleagues studied the chemical properties and behavior of specific cells iridocytes in order to create these stickers.

Iridocytes help squid and some other creatures to change color and become invisible to others. One such protein is called Reflectin.

The researchers fabricated reflectin films on polymer substrates, such as a sticky tape as this tape can stick to a variety of surfaces including cloth uniforms, and its appearance under an infrared camera can be changed by stretching.

The technology is not yet ready for field use. Gorodetsky's team is still figuring out how to increase the brightness of the stickers and get multiple stickers to respond in the same way at the same time.

The researchers will present their work at the 249th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver this week.