From melanogenesis to melanin technologies

Noah Al-Shamery¹, Dauren Biyashev², Lluís Blancafort³, Anthony Camus⁴, Nathan C Gianneschi^{2

5}, Carlos Federico De Olivera Graeff⁶, Bern Kohler⁷, Shujie Li⁸, Kurt Q Lu², Jean-Philip Lumb⁹, Paola Manini¹⁰, Maria McNamara^{11

12}, Paul Meredith¹³, A Bernardus Mostert¹³, Toby L Nelson¹⁴, Busra Ozlu¹⁵, Valentina Rossi^{11

12}, Farhana Shanta¹⁴, Matthew Shawkey¹⁶, Bong Sup Shim¹⁵, Andrew J Surman⁸, Wanjie Xie¹⁶, Clara Santato¹⁷, Micaela Matta¹⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
² Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
³ Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi and Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
⁴ Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, International Institute of Nanotechnology, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
⁶ Departamento de Física e Meteorologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Bauru, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
¹¹ School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
¹² Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
¹³ Department of Physics and Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University Bay Campus, Swansea, Wales, UK.
¹⁴ Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
¹⁶ Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
¹⁷ Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada. clara.santato@polymtl.ca.
¹⁸ Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK. micaela.matta@kcl.ac.uk.

PMID: 41188615
PMCID: PMC12586680
DOI: 10.1038/s42004-025-01731-8

Review

From melanogenesis to melanin technologies

Noah Al-Shamery et al. Commun Chem. 2025.

. 2025 Nov 4;8(1):323.

doi: 10.1038/s42004-025-01731-8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
² Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
³ Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi and Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
⁴ Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, International Institute of Nanotechnology, Simpson-Querrey Institute, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
⁶ Departamento de Física e Meteorologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Bauru, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK.
⁹ Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
¹¹ School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
¹² Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
¹³ Department of Physics and Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University Bay Campus, Swansea, Wales, UK.
¹⁴ Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
¹⁶ Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
¹⁷ Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada. clara.santato@polymtl.ca.
¹⁸ Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, UK. micaela.matta@kcl.ac.uk.

PMID: 41188615
PMCID: PMC12586680
DOI: 10.1038/s42004-025-01731-8

Abstract

Melanins are a diverse family of natural pigments with a unique combination of optical, electronic, redox, and structural properties that challenge conventional chemical characterisation. This Perspective summarises key insights from the first international interdisciplinary meeting dedicated to melanin, held in Eastbourne, UK and sponsored by the Royal Society. The meeting brought together advances in melanogenesis, pigment evolution, molecular and supramolecular melanin characterisation, alongside emerging applications in energy storage, sensing, coatings, and biodegradable electronics. Here, we highlight the fragmentation of melanin research across disciplines and advocate for a unified, interdisciplinary approach to understanding melanin's complex chemistry. By integrating perspectives from experts in biology, materials science, paleontology, device physics and chemistry, we propose a roadmap for future melanin research, towards melanin-based functional devices and technologies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1. Melanin classification and precursors.**
Melanin classification, molecular precursors and associated organisms. Created in BioRender. Matta, M. (2025) https://BioRender.com/abl32gf.

**Fig. 2. Eumelanin’s reactivity, structural and redox disorder.**
a Reactive positions of DHI and DHICA; connectivity patterns in b DHICA-rich domains and c DHI-rich domains; d comproportionation reaction; e redox forms and tautomers.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Rogers, C. S. et al. Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy of melanosomes in vertebrates and cephalopods: implications for the Affinity of Tullimonstrum. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci.286, 20191649 (2019). - PMC - PubMed
1. Glass, K. et al. Direct chemical evidence for eumelanin pigment from the Jurassic Period. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA109, 10218–10223 (2012). - PMC - PubMed
1. Lindgren, J. et al. Fossil insect eyes shed light on trilobite optics and the arthropod pigment screen. Nature573, 122–125 (2019). - PubMed
1. Gabbott, S. E. et al. Pigmented anatomy in carboniferous cyclostomes and the evolution of the vertebrate eye. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci.283, 20161151 (2016). - PMC - PubMed
1. Rossi, V., Webb, S. M. & McNamara, M. E. Hierarchical biota-level and taxonomic controls on the chemistry of fossil melanosomes revealed using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence. Sci. Rep.10, 8970 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Nature Publishing Group
- PubMed Central

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

From melanogenesis to melanin technologies

Affiliations

From melanogenesis to melanin technologies

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources