Devices flexible enough to be worn in comfort, sensitive enough to measure a pulse and transparent and thus barely noticeable are an attractive prospect for a range of applications from monitoring biometrics to hands-free user interfaces. However, the material properties required remain a tall order. Much research has focused on the possibilities of synthetic conductive polymers or conducting nanomaterials combined with flexible or stretchy substrates, but none so far have been able to simultaneously meet the electronic, optical and mechanical demands of these applications. Now, reporting in Advanced Functional Materials researchers in Canada and China suggest that a substance derived from egg whites could outperform other more economically and environmentally costly alternatives.