| Project Detail |
Silica biosynthesis by marine algae
Silica or silicon dioxide is a complex family of materials found in nature as quartz but also in many living organisms. Silica is used in construction materials, microelectronics, in food and pharmaceutical industries. Silica exists in many crystalline forms but in diatom microalgae silica produced by the bio-mineralisation process is hierarchically built tough, bio-compatible material making it an attractive target for nanotechnology. Modern developments in electron microscopy enabling imaging and analysis with nanometer-scale resolution makes possible investigation of the chemical processes inside living organisms. The goal of this EU-funded project is to understand the mechanism of intracellular silica formation by diatoms. Research will study silica formation process in situ using state-of-the-art electron, X-ray imaging and spectroscopy tools. The success of this project will provide access to novel nano-patterned silica bio-materials with numerous promising applications. |
