Several hundred genes have been identified to contribute to epilepsy—the disease affecting 65 million people worldwide. One of these genes is GNAO1 encoding Gαo, the major neuronal α-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins. An avalanche of dominant de novo mutations in GNAO1 have been recently described in paediatric epileptic patients, suffering, in addition to epilepsy, from motor dysfunction and developmental delay. Although occurring in amino acids conserved from humans to Drosophila, these mutations and their functional consequences have only been poorly analysed at the biochemical or neuronal levels. Adequate animal models to study the molecular aetiology of GNAO1 encephalopathies have also so far been lacking. As the first step towards modeling the disease in Drosophila, we here describe the humanization of the Gαo locus in the fruit fly. A two-step CRISPR/Cas9-mediated replacement was conducted, first substituting the coding exons 2–3 of Gαo with respective human GNAO1 sequences. At the next step, the remaining exons 4–7 were similarly replaced, keeping intact the gene Cyp49a1 embedded in between, as well as the non-coding exons, exon 1 and the surrounding regulatory sequences. The resulting flies, homozygous for the humanized GNAO1 loci, are viable and fertile without any visible phenotypes; their body weight, locomotion, and longevity are also normal. Human Gαo-specific antibodies confirm the endogenous-level expression of the humanized Gαo, which fully replaces the Drosophila functions. The genetic model we established will make it easy to incorporate encephalopathic GNAO1 mutations and will permit intensive investigations into the molecular aetiology of the human disease through the powerful toolkit of Drosophila genetics.

In diverse living organisms, bionanocoatings provide multiple functionalities, to the surfaces they cover. We have, previously, identified the molecular mechanisms of Turing-based self-assembly of insect corneal nanocoatings and developed forward-engineering approaches to construct multifunctional soft bionic nanocoatings, encompassing the Drosophila protein Retinin. Here, we expand the versatility of the bionic nanocoatings, by identifying and using diverse Retinin-like proteins and different methods of their metallization, using nickel, silver, and copper ions. Comparative assessment, of the resulting bactericidal, antiviral, and cytotoxic properties, identifies the best protocols, to construct safe and anti-infective metalized bionic nanocoatings. Upscaled application of these protocols, to various public surfaces, may represent a safe and economic approach to limit hazardous infections.

SignificanceBiophotonics has advanced through many discoveries, yet challenges remain, including label-free biomolecular specificity, quantitative imaging, and single-molecule detection. Progress is further constrained by the need for cheaper, lighter, miniaturized materials that still meet strict optical, electrical, and mechanical specifications. This limitation can be overcome if bioinspired structures are developed. One of the developed areas in which solutions in nature are used is micro and nanostructures including nanosurfaces. It offers a way to increase biomolecular specificity and develop lightweight, low-cost devices for biomedicine. However, it requires measuring phenomena in materials and testing these materials in applications, e.g., sensing systems.AimWe offer a concise, authoritative overview of biophotonics—from nanoscale light–biomolecule interactions to bioinspired materials, phantoms, test methods, and sensor development.ApproachA coherent and comprehensive analysis of the crucial problems related to the development of bioinspired materials and devices was carried out. Recent advances in light scattering by biological surfaces enable structure characterization, disease diagnosis, red-blood-cell analysis, drug discovery, and optical imaging and sensing. Structural and genetic bases of biological photonic surfaces were examined, alongside key performance factors in bio-inspired materials—biocompatibility, biodegradability, structure-optics coupling (e.g., dynamic color change), and scalability limits. We survey chiral nanomaterials, silica frustules, and artificial surfaces that emulate peacock feathers, butterfly wings, iridescent fruits, plant petals, and beetle cuticles, highlighting complementary diagnostics—omics, hyperspectral, and terahertz imaging—for structural analysis and material innovation. We examine bio-inspired phantoms for medical calibration, recent advances in Monte Carlo tissue light-transport modeling, and the resulting applications of these materials and diagnostic tools.ResultsResults confirm a broad set of tunable bio-inspired materials: key optical phenomena were mapped, structures fabricated and modeled, phantoms validated, and strong sensor potential demonstrated.ConclusionsWe survey emerging biophotonics, review material and system requirements, and emphasize simplifying and miniaturizing sensors for biomedical use.

Nanopatterning of signal-transmitting proteins is essential for cell physiology and drug delivery but faces challenges such as high cost, limited pattern variability, and non-biofriendly materials. Arthropods, particularly beetles (Coleoptera), offer a natural model for biomimetic nanopatterning due to their diverse corneal nanostructures. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we analyzed Coleoptera corneal nanocoatings and identified dimpled nanostructures that can transform into maze-like/nipple-like protrusions. Further analysis suggested that these modifications result from a temporary, self-assembled process influenced by surface adhesion. We identified cuticular protein 7 (CP7) as a key component of dimpled nanocoatings. Biophysical analysis revealed CP7’s unique self-assembly properties, allowing us to replicate its nanopatterning ability in vitro. Our findings demonstrate CP7’s potential for bioinspired nanocoatings and provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms of nanostructure formation. This research paves the way for cost-effective, biomimetic nanopatterning strategies with applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine.

Evolutionary bet-hedging (EBT) is a theory describing a trade-off between the mean and the variance of fitness. It explains how in varying environments, lower-quality adaptations to a broader diversity of conditions (reduced mean fitness with low variances) can be evolutionary favored over an ideal adaptation to a specific narrow condition (high mean fitness with higher variances)^1-5. Examples of EBT include strategies governing germination of desert annual plants, egg size variability of birds, metabolic switching in bacteria, and many more^2,3,6. EBT at the nanoscale, however, has never been observed. Analyzing corneal nanocoatings^7,8 across Coleoptera species (beetles), we here come across sexually dimorphic nanostructures garmenting eye surfaces of fireflies from the genera Lampyris and Luciola. While in Lampyris, as in other previously studied arthropods, corneal nanocoatings display dichotomy between the two competing functionalities – anti-reflectivity and anti-adhesion^8,9, those of Luciola are surprisingly superb in both. Turing reaction-diffusion mechanism based on interactions of a protein Activator and a lipid Inhibitor governs assembly of corneal nanocoatings^7,8; modeling predicts that the unique Luciola nanostructures can only form within a narrow set of parameters, suggesting the sensitivity of these insects’ vision to environmental conditions, such as temperature. Corroborating this prediction, the areal of Luciola is restricted to the mild Mediterranean, while that of Lampyris spreads across most of Eurasia. In a forward-engineering approach, artificial Turing nanocoatings can be produced^8,10,11. We find that modifying the diffusion coefficient of the Turing Activator creates Luciola firefly-like nanocoatings whose parameter space is restricted as compared to the parental structures: they can form only in a narrowed range of temperatures. Our work thus describes the first example of EBT at the nanoscale; its translation to nanotechnology permits thermal control, through light interference and plasmon resonance, of surface nanopatterning for variety of applications.