Diatoms - Nanotechnology Research

Nanotechnology Research

The deposition of silica by diatoms may also prove to be of utility to nanotechnology. Diatom cells repeatedly and reliably manufacture valves of various shapes and sizes, potentially allowing diatoms to manufacture micro- or nano-scale structures which may be of use in a range of devices, including: optical systems; semiconductor nanolithography; and even using diatom valves as vehicles for drug delivery. Using an appropriate artificial selection procedure, diatoms that produce valves of particular shapes and sizes could be evolved in the laboratory, and then used in chemostat cultures to mass produce nanoscale components. It has also been proposed that diatoms could be used as a component of solar cells, by substituting photosensitive titanium dioxide for the silicon dioxide normally used in the creation of cell walls.