engleski

Exploring the Potential of Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) as a Source of Bioinspired Patterns Composed of Biogenic-opal

Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic microorganisms (10-100 µm in size on average) possessing exoskeleton composed of amorphous silica (biogenic opal=hydrated silicon dioxide), which is called the frustule. The most characteristic feature of the frustule is species specific pattern. Although there exist hyaline (sturctureless frustule) by far most of them do possess intricate pattern composed variable in size pores or slits. In some taxa these pores are of nanometers in size. However, the frustule morphology is usually much more variable and includes ribs, ridges, bridging and even the so called wings. All these features made diatoms unique as organismic group which are inspiration for numerous engineering specialists. It is well known fact that fossil diatomaceous deposits (diatomites) have countless commercial applications (building and abrasive materials, fillers and materials for filtration or insulation). As the morphology of a given diatom species frustule’ is genetically controlled the respective morphological features are repeated during the cell division and the rate of this process can be quite high. Although they can occur abundantly in natural waters )lakes, oceans) especially advantageous is that some of diatom taxa can be easily grown in clonal cultures. Such large scale culture facilities already exist in Europe and elsewhere. This means that the taxa which are easy to grow in cultures are practically unlimited source of bioisnspired opaline silica. The group of present authors is exploring at the ultrastructural level the variability of the frustule’s morphology and components of potential applicability in engineering sciences are carefully selected. The research is conducted at two research centres in Frankfurt am Main and in Warsaw and the powerful electron microscopes are applied. With the selection of the structural components of the diatom frustule’s a culture collection is established in Szczecin. Our focus will be structural elements e.g. pores, areoles, slits and the structures which close them. The other interest of our group is the way in which diatoms adhere to the surface on which they grow. In this context of special interest is material which they use as adhesive. In this paper we present results of our research on the diatomaceous silica ultrastructure which is of potential interest for the engineers. In addition we present preliminary results on the adherence of the diatoms to the surface they colonize.

Diatoms; Silica; Materials; Ultrastructure; Electron Microscope; Culture

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