When someone you know is wearing an unfamiliar hat, you
might not recognize them. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are using
just such a disguise to sneak biomaterials containing peptide signaling
molecules into living animals.
When the disguised peptides are needed to launch biological
processes, the researchers shine ultraviolet light onto the molecules through
the skin, causing the “hat” structures to come off. That allows cells and other
molecules to recognize and interact with the peptides on the surface of the
material.