Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A April 2024 PMID 38498725

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes.

Lin Wang, Zhuo Li, Sheng Shen, Tak-Sing Wong

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51
Peak: 22 in Mar 2024
across 5 sources since Mar 2024

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions highlight excitement about how leafhoppers use these nanostructures for camouflage, with phrases like 'amazing structures' and 'complex hollow structures' conveying awe. References to advanced techniques like 3D printing and comparisons to biological functions showcase both interest and recognition of the research's significance.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the scientific significance and fascination with brochosomes, supporting the publication's insights.

InterestHigh interest

Posts express high curiosity about the structure and function of the nanostructures, indicating strong engagement with the topic.

EngagementHigh engagement

Discussions include mentions of specific details, such as the hollow buckyball shape and advanced 3D printing methods, demonstrating deep involvement.

ImpactHigh impact

Comments suggest that the findings could inspire bioinspired materials, hinting at broad potential applications and influence on scientific fields.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explores how leafhopper brochosomes, which are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanostructures with throughholes, are geometrically designed to reduce light reflection by maximizing broadband light scattering and acting as short-wavelength lowpass filters.
  • Using advanced 3D printing techniques, researchers replicated these nanostructures to analyze their optical properties, discovering that their specific size and throughhole architecture play a crucial role in minimizing reflection across ultraviolet to visible light spectra.
  • These findings suggest that natural brochosomes have evolved to enhance leafhopper survival by evading predators through effective omnidirectional antireflective properties, offering valuable insights for designing bioinspired optical materials for applications like coatings and optical encryption.]

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Most liked on X and Bluesky
PNASNews
@PNASNews · X

Tiny insects known as leafhoppers camouflage themselves with a coating of brochosomes, which reduce light reflection. Researchers 3D printed synthetic brochosomes to investigate how shape and size affect their optical properties. In PNAS: https://t.co/ppPw4aekaB https://t.co/5mpEYVLJci

Mar 26, 2024 · 71 likes · 12 shares · 181,574 followers View post →
Manuela Casasoli
@manuelacasasoli · X

When #Geometry and #Biology meet... "Brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes on their surfaces." "Leafhoppers excrete brochosomes and actively use them as deployable materials on their body surfaces." #Science ⏯️https://t.co/7iOmR3TZya https://t.co/748PoNDtp9

Mar 28, 2024 · 41 likes · 3 shares · 11,649 followers View post →
Caleb Meredith
@calebhuwm · X

@jwt0625 checkout leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/8BVGagegJa https://t.co/3qfK5Mp9lF

Jul 21, 2025 · 21 likes · 3 shares · 975 followers View post →
ゆきまさかずよし
@Kyukimasa · X

バッキーボール状の外側と内側の開口部それぞれが光の特定波長域と干渉するサイズになってるらしい。光学的な特性を調べるのに同形状同サイズ(20μm)のものを3Dプリントで作って確かめてる https://t.co/NTpGcpW4jQ 同じものを人工的に作れるからなにかしら光学的な使い道がある

Mar 20, 2024 · 6 likes · 3 shares · 20,628 followers View post →
Jing Wang
@JingjingTHU · X

Congratulations @TakSingWong @LinWang_MatSE @PSUEngineering Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes | PNAS https://t.co/J9DfJrechY

Mar 19, 2024 · 4 likes · 322 followers View post →
Bryan Kelly
@BryanKeIIy · X

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/1Rf5Kct21i https://t.co/osEBBRYNtc

Mar 27, 2024 · 1 like · 3,732 followers View post →

All mentions

Josh Krueger
@_defaulty · X

RT @calebhuwm: @jwt0625 checkout leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/8BVGagegJa https://t.co/3qfK5Mp9lF

Jul 23, 2025 · 3 shares · 348 followers View post →
Active Matter (Natural/Artificial) Science
@microswimm18382 · X

RT @calebhuwm: @jwt0625 checkout leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/8BVGagegJa https://t.co/3qfK5Mp9lF

Jul 21, 2025 · 3 shares · 103 followers View post →
outside five sigma
@jwt0625 · X

RT @calebhuwm: @jwt0625 checkout leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/8BVGagegJa https://t.co/3qfK5Mp9lF

Jul 21, 2025 · 3 shares · 13,892 followers View post →
Caleb Meredith
@calebhuwm · X

@jwt0625 checkout leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/8BVGagegJa https://t.co/3qfK5Mp9lF

Jul 21, 2025 · 21 likes · 3 shares · 975 followers View post →
Touring
@Touring540 · X

Cool

Jan 3, 2025 · 1 like · 2,596 followers View post →
Abstream
@abstreamme · X

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes #science #publication #research #publications https://t.co/A8ga1nhFmv

Apr 4, 2024 · 788 followers View post →
Gay Pratt
@GayprattPratt1 · X

RT @manuelacasasoli: When #Geometry and #Biology meet... "Brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes…

Mar 29, 2024 · 3 shares · 2,272 followers View post →
Hao Yin
@HaoYin20 · X

RT @manuelacasasoli: When #Geometry and #Biology meet... "Brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes…

Mar 28, 2024 · 3 shares · 12,630 followers View post →
For Yet Better Science
@ForYetBetterSci · X

RT @manuelacasasoli: When #Geometry and #Biology meet... "Brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes…

Mar 28, 2024 · 3 shares · 869 followers View post →
Manuela Casasoli
@manuelacasasoli · X

When #Geometry and #Biology meet... "Brochosomes are hollow, buckyball-shaped nanoscopic spheroids with through-holes on their surfaces." "Leafhoppers excrete brochosomes and actively use them as deployable materials on their body surfaces." #Science ⏯️https://t.co/7iOmR3TZya https://t.co/748PoNDtp9

Mar 28, 2024 · 41 likes · 3 shares · 11,649 followers View post →
Bryan Kelly
@BryanKeIIy · X

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes https://t.co/1Rf5Kct21i https://t.co/osEBBRYNtc

Mar 27, 2024 · 1 like · 3,732 followers View post →
Dieter
@Wuhle · X

RT @PNASNews: Tiny insects known as leafhoppers camouflage themselves with a coating of brochosomes, which reduce light reflection. Researc…

Mar 26, 2024 · 12 shares · 510 followers View post →
Tak-Sing Wong
@TakSingWong · X

RT @PNASNews: Tiny insects known as leafhoppers camouflage themselves with a coating of brochosomes, which reduce light reflection. Researc…

Mar 26, 2024 · 12 shares · 165 followers View post →
MrKW
@4MrKW · X

RT @PNASNews: Tiny insects known as leafhoppers camouflage themselves with a coating of brochosomes, which reduce light reflection. Researc…

Mar 26, 2024 · 12 shares · 166 followers View post →
PNASNews
@PNASNews · X

Tiny insects known as leafhoppers camouflage themselves with a coating of brochosomes, which reduce light reflection. Researchers 3D printed synthetic brochosomes to investigate how shape and size affect their optical properties. In PNAS: https://t.co/ppPw4aekaB https://t.co/5mpEYVLJci

Mar 26, 2024 · 71 likes · 12 shares · 181,574 followers View post →
sam
@zapiklon · X

Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes | PNAS https://t.co/bk906oGTRZ

Mar 25, 2024 · 18 followers View post →
W.H. (Bill) Hilf
@billhilf · X

Learning from leafhoppers. Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences https://t.co/JdemcLRCl8

Mar 24, 2024 · 1 like · 2,199 followers View post →
soft/living matter fanclub
@softlivmat_fc · X

L. Wang, Z. Li, S. Shen, T.-S. Wong, Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 121, e2312700121 (2024). https://t.co/QINWObYbNn

Mar 22, 2024 · 1,519 followers View post →
MKNK/メカニカ
@Me_Ka_Ni_Ka · X

RT @Kyukimasa: バッキーボール状の外側と内側の開口部それぞれが光の特定波長域と干渉するサイズになってるらしい。光学的な特性を調べるのに同形状同サイズ(20μm)のものを3Dプリントで作って確かめてる https://t.co/NTpGcpW4jQ 同じものを人工的…

Mar 20, 2024 · 3 shares · 690 followers View post →
けんさん@トレーラーの中
@kensukw · X

RT @Kyukimasa: バッキーボール状の外側と内側の開口部それぞれが光の特定波長域と干渉するサイズになってるらしい。光学的な特性を調べるのに同形状同サイズ(20μm)のものを3Dプリントで作って確かめてる https://t.co/NTpGcpW4jQ 同じものを人工的…

Mar 20, 2024 · 3 shares · 268 followers View post →
大野木寛
@dadasiko · X

RT @Kyukimasa: バッキーボール状の外側と内側の開口部それぞれが光の特定波長域と干渉するサイズになってるらしい。光学的な特性を調べるのに同形状同サイズ(20μm)のものを3Dプリントで作って確かめてる https://t.co/NTpGcpW4jQ 同じものを人工的…

Mar 20, 2024 · 3 shares · 7,335 followers View post →
ゆきまさかずよし
@Kyukimasa · X

バッキーボール状の外側と内側の開口部それぞれが光の特定波長域と干渉するサイズになってるらしい。光学的な特性を調べるのに同形状同サイズ(20μm)のものを3Dプリントで作って確かめてる https://t.co/NTpGcpW4jQ 同じものを人工的に作れるからなにかしら光学的な使い道がある

Mar 20, 2024 · 6 likes · 3 shares · 20,628 followers View post →
UkraineForGoodPeople
@UkraineVSterror · X

Маленькі зелені стрибунці мають захист від ультафіолетового бачення що використовується хижаками проти них https://t.co/icL8zmlHWb

Mar 19, 2024 · 539 followers View post →
Denyse O'Leary
@itsdesign · X

The proteins implicated in these amazing structures appear to be orphans: https://t.co/JwZvb0HWyT "All BSM proteins and some BSAP proteins identified in our study were exclusive to Cicadellidae, with no detectable homologs in other Hemiptera species, suggesting their encoding

Mar 19, 2024 · 2,208 followers View post →
Lin Wang
@LinWang_MatSE · X

Our paper about the geometric design of the unique particles produced by leafhoppers has now published in PNAS. I have been trying to understand why the leafhopper chose to cover their body surfaces with particles with such complex hollow structures. https://t.co/wwfW9YSdre

Mar 19, 2024 · 4 followers View post →
Velit.es
@velitesgear · X

RT @velitesgear | Full Text Article: https://t.co/8OOuKFsGAI | Author: @PNASNews Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 121, Issue 14, April 2024.

Mar 19, 2024 · 263 followers View post →
Jing Wang
@JingjingTHU · X

Congratulations @TakSingWong @LinWang_MatSE @PSUEngineering Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes | PNAS https://t.co/J9DfJrechY

Mar 19, 2024 · 4 likes · 322 followers View post →
Leafhopper [IMAGE] | EurekAlert! Science News Releases
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10.1073/pnas.2312700121. Keywords. /Physical sciences/Physics/Energy/Radiation/Ultraviolet radiation. Additional Multimedia.

Dec 21, 2025 View →
Brochosomes and Leafhoppers | Science
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https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312700121 · Crossref. Zhuo Li,; Lin Wang,; Xiu Liu,; Jiayu Li,; Hyeong Seok Yun,; Zexiao Wang,; Xu Zhang,; Tak-Sing Wong,; Sheng ...

Dec 21, 2025 View →
The Optics of Insect Compound Eyes | Science
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121, 14, (2024).https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312700121 · Crossref. Jiachuang Wang,; Xiawei Yue,; Shuai Wei,; Fangyu Zhao,; Nan Qin,; Tiger H. Tao,. Artificial ...

Dec 21, 2025 View →
3D printed microscale synthetic brochosome [IMAGE] | EurekAlert ...
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10.1073/pnas.2312700121. Keywords. /Physical sciences/Physics/Energy/Radiation/Ultraviolet radiation. Additional Multimedia.

Dec 21, 2025 View →
orphan genes challenge evolutionary theory - Facebook
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Brocosomas: el secreto de la invisibilidad Enigmáticos pero ...
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... leafhopper brochosomes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024; 121 (14) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312700121.".

Sep 9, 2025 View →
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... . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024; 121 (14) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312700121. more. September 9 · marcelomenstudio. •. Follow.

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ORPHAN GENES - EVIDENCE OF DESIGN In the grand narrative of ...
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... pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas. 2312700121 "All BSM proteins and some BSAP proteins identified in our study were exclusive to Cicadellidae, with ...

Sep 3, 2025 View →
Chemistry in Pictures: Bugs make buckyballs
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... 10.1073/pnas.2312700121. Do science. Take pictures. Win money. Enter our photo contest here. Click here to see more Chemistry in Pictures ...

Mar 28, 2024 View →
Since brochosomes were first discovered coating leafhoppers ...
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... bug-made buckyballs in Proclamations of the National Academy of Science, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312700121 #CENChemPics".

Mar 24, 2024 View →
곤충 분비물 분석해보니…“투명망토 제작 가능한 특수 구조”
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... PNAS/Tak-Sing Wong et al. 제공. 미국 펜실베이니아주립대(Penn State) 탁싱 웡 ... org/10.1073/pnas.2312700121 · 연합뉴스: 저작권자 2024-03-21 ...

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[사이테크+] 곤충 분비물 분석해보니…"투명망토 제작 가능한 특수 ...
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◇ 출처 : PNAS, Tak-Sing Wong et al., 'Geometric design of antireflective leafhopper brochosomes' , http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312700121.

Mar 19, 2024 View →
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“ Quelle: Lin Wang (Pennsylvania State University) et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312700121.

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The proteins implicated in these amazing structures appear to be ...
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The proteins implicated in these amazing structures appear to be orphans: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312700121 "All BSM proteins ...

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"Orphan genes are proof that Evolutionary Theory is wrong or at ...
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