 Melanin is a versatile molecule. Not only is it responsible for giving us our UV blocking complexion, at the cellular level, it gobbles up harmful radicals that lead to diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's. But that's only the beginning. Over the past decades, researchers have focused on what might be Melanin's most promising talent yet discovered – the ability to conduct electricity. That's important, because if we fancy a future where environmentally benign electronics help us fight disease, monitor our health and store energy, we're going to need bio-friendly materials. And what better material for the job than one made right in-house? This is Melanin in its most common form. When it comes to electrical charge, Melanin acts as a sort of bank, always ready to lend out or take electrons depending on the environment. Chained together, as they naturally tend to do, Melanin molecules can shuffle electrons and surrounding ions end to end. The result is an all-natural electrode material. In terms of performance, it's not on par with the electronic materials we find in our phones and laptops. But because Melanin is 100% compatible with our body's makeup, it's a much safer starting material for building electronic devices, both for us and the environment. Researchers have shown that Melanin can act as a switch when sandwiched between metal electrodes, turning on and off under different applied voltages. It seems like a simple trick, but that switching behaviour is critical to the operation of any computing device. Polydopamine, a synthetic Melanin analogue, has been used to extract harmful metal ions from water. And polydopamine-coated nanoparticles have been shown to boost the sensitivity of tests designed to seek out diseases like HIV, Zika and cancer. Researchers are still learning how Melanin behaves when surrounded by the machinery that makes useful electronics work. But continued efforts from chemists, physicists and material scientists are likely to result in exciting new applications for this highly versatile molecule.