• By Charlie Jane Anders
    Feb 7, 2008 6:30 AM 535
    more about

    #algae

    Single-Cell Algae Can Swim In Two Different "Gears"

    Freakishly Huge Algae Bloom in London
    read more: #nanotechnology, #algae, #diatoms, #labonachip, #nanoart

    Biotech Is The New Nanotech

    Not only could we use algae as a new fuel source soon, but we also might use it to create better nanotechnology. Diatoms, tiny phytoplanktons, come encased in a unique cell wall made out of silica, which has pores and channels that increase its surface area dramatically. Using the existing complexity of these natural structures in nature could be a cheap way to make "lab-on-a-chip" systems for micro-analysis... without any industrial chemical processes. Diatom image by Peter Webber, from Nikon Small World. [Nanowerk]


    Send an email to Charlie Jane Anders, the author of this post, at .