We are not that familiar with any recent developments.

However, when we covered the Sugya in Menachos, we were in touch with Saul Kaplan, Ph.D., who says that he has produced a steadfast blue dye from the Janthina (which he catches himself), in his home laboratory in Rechovot. He kindly sent us a Janthina shell to prove to us that its color is blue. You can read about his findings in Levi Kitrossky's article at > (seach for "Kaplan" to skip to the relevant section), where he discusses your question concerning the color of the Janthina dye. You can also see Kaplan's own website at > .