Iridescent giant clams may hold the key to making solar panels more efficient

Their huge shells are covered in photoreceptive algae arranged in columns parallel to the sun’s rays to absorb as much solar energy as possible. The columns are covered in a layer of cells called iridocytes. These cells filter and scatter the sunlight so it envelops the algal columns uniformly. They might be the most effective solar systems on Earth, say Yale University scientists.