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Bioelectronics

A positive future for squid proteins

Nature Chemistry volume 6, pages 563–564 (2014)Cite this article

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Protein-based protonic conductivity plays an important role in nature, but has been explored little outside of a biological setting. Now, proton conductors have been developed based on the squid protein reflectin, and integrated with devices for potential bioelectronic applications.

Electronic devices ranging from simple mobile phones to the most powerful supercomputers rely on electrons and electron holes for carrying current. When it comes to nature, however, a range of different ions are put to work as charge carriers. Naturally occurring ion channels and pumps can transport Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl− and H+ ions across cell membranes for a myriad of biological functions ranging from nerve impulses to the oxidative phosphorylation of ATP. Now, in Nature Chemistry, Alon Gorodetsky and colleagues1 show that high proton conduction in proteins is not limited to such ion channels and pumps.

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Figure 1: Reflectin structure and conductivity data.

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  1. Marco Rolandi is in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-2120, USA,

    Marco Rolandi

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  1. Marco Rolandi
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Correspondence to Marco Rolandi.

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Rolandi, M. A positive future for squid proteins. Nature Chem 6, 563–564 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1980

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