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Structural colour from helicoidal cell-wall architecture in fruits of $\textit{Margaritaria nobilis}$

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Gregory, T 
Kolle, M 
Lethbridge, A 

Abstract

The bright and intense blue-green coloration of the fruits of Margaritaria nobilis (Phyllanthaceae) was investigated using polarization-resolved spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Optical measurements of freshly collected fruits revealed a strong circularly polarized reflection of the fruit that originates from a cellulose helicoidal cell wall structure in the pericarp cells. Hyperspectral microscopy was used to capture the iridescent effect at the single-cell level.

Description

Keywords

structural colour, helicoidal cell wall, circular dichroism, cellulose, iridescence, natural photonics

Journal Title

Journal of The Royal Society Interface

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1742-5689
1742-5662

Volume Title

13

Publisher

Royal Society Publishing
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/K014617/1)
Leverhulme Trust (F/09 741/G)
European Research Council (639088)
This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust (F/09-741/G) and a BBSRC David Phillips fellowship [BB/K014617/1]. PV acknowledges support from the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-10-1-0020. US acknowledges support from the Adolphe Merkle foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation through the National Centre of Competence in Research Bio-Inspired Materials.