All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond
Nature’s silicon marvel, the diatoms have lately astounded the scientific community with its intricate designs and lasting durability. Diatoms are a major group of phytoplanktons involved in the biogeochemical cycling of silica and are virtually inherent in every environment ranging from water to ic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01239/full |
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| author | Meerambika Mishra Ananta P. Arukha Tufail Bashir Dhananjay Yadav G. B. K. S. Prasad |
| author_facet | Meerambika Mishra Ananta P. Arukha Tufail Bashir Dhananjay Yadav G. B. K. S. Prasad |
| author_sort | Meerambika Mishra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nature’s silicon marvel, the diatoms have lately astounded the scientific community with its intricate designs and lasting durability. Diatoms are a major group of phytoplanktons involved in the biogeochemical cycling of silica and are virtually inherent in every environment ranging from water to ice to soil. The usage of diatoms has proved prudently cost effective and its handling neither requires costly materials nor sophisticated instruments. Diatoms can easily be acquired from the environment, their culture requires ambient condition and does not involve any costly media or expensive instruments, besides, they can be transported in small quantities and proliferated to a desirable confluence from that scratch, thus are excellent cost effective industrial raw material. Naturally occurring diatom frustules are a source of nanomaterials. Their silica bio-shells have raised curiosity among nanotechnologists who hope that diatoms will facilitate tailoring minuscule structures which are beyond the capabilities of material scientists. Additionally, there is a colossal diversity in the dimensions of diatoms as the frustule shape differs from species to species; this provides a scope for the choice of a particular species of diatom to be tailored to an exacting requisite, thus paving the way to create desired three dimensional nanocomposites. The present article explores the use of diatoms in various arenas of science, may it be in nanotechnology, biotechnology, environmental science, biophysics or biochemistry and summarizes facets of diatom biology under one umbrella. Special emphasis has been given to biosilicification, biomineralization and use of diatoms as nanomaterials’, drug delivery vehicles, optical and immune-biosensors, filters, immunodiagnostics, aquaculture feeds, lab-on-a-chip, metabolites, and biofuels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:08:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3918e198c404a8b9178fbc5cad55e75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:08:26Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3918e198c404a8b9178fbc5cad55e752022-12-21T23:04:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2017-07-01810.3389/fmicb.2017.01239270030All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and BeyondMeerambika Mishra0Ananta P. Arukha1Tufail Bashir2Dhananjay Yadav3G. B. K. S. Prasad4School of Life Sciences, Sambalpur UniversityBurla, IndiaDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, University of Florida, GainesvilleFL, United StatesSchool of Biotechnology, Yeungnam UniversityGyeongsan, South KoreaDepartment of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam UniversityGyeongsan, South KoreaSchool of Biochemistry, Jiwaji UniversityGwalior, IndiaNature’s silicon marvel, the diatoms have lately astounded the scientific community with its intricate designs and lasting durability. Diatoms are a major group of phytoplanktons involved in the biogeochemical cycling of silica and are virtually inherent in every environment ranging from water to ice to soil. The usage of diatoms has proved prudently cost effective and its handling neither requires costly materials nor sophisticated instruments. Diatoms can easily be acquired from the environment, their culture requires ambient condition and does not involve any costly media or expensive instruments, besides, they can be transported in small quantities and proliferated to a desirable confluence from that scratch, thus are excellent cost effective industrial raw material. Naturally occurring diatom frustules are a source of nanomaterials. Their silica bio-shells have raised curiosity among nanotechnologists who hope that diatoms will facilitate tailoring minuscule structures which are beyond the capabilities of material scientists. Additionally, there is a colossal diversity in the dimensions of diatoms as the frustule shape differs from species to species; this provides a scope for the choice of a particular species of diatom to be tailored to an exacting requisite, thus paving the way to create desired three dimensional nanocomposites. The present article explores the use of diatoms in various arenas of science, may it be in nanotechnology, biotechnology, environmental science, biophysics or biochemistry and summarizes facets of diatom biology under one umbrella. Special emphasis has been given to biosilicification, biomineralization and use of diatoms as nanomaterials’, drug delivery vehicles, optical and immune-biosensors, filters, immunodiagnostics, aquaculture feeds, lab-on-a-chip, metabolites, and biofuels.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01239/fullbiosensorsdiatomsdrug deliverynanomaterialsnanocompositesdiatom nanotechnology |
| spellingShingle | Meerambika Mishra Ananta P. Arukha Tufail Bashir Dhananjay Yadav G. B. K. S. Prasad All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond Frontiers in Microbiology biosensors diatoms drug delivery nanomaterials nanocomposites diatom nanotechnology |
| title | All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond |
| title_full | All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond |
| title_fullStr | All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond |
| title_full_unstemmed | All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond |
| title_short | All New Faces of Diatoms: Potential Source of Nanomaterials and Beyond |
| title_sort | all new faces of diatoms potential source of nanomaterials and beyond |
| topic | biosensors diatoms drug delivery nanomaterials nanocomposites diatom nanotechnology |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01239/full |
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