A quiet revolution is under way in technologies used for nanoscale cellular imaging.
Focused ion beams, previously restricted to the materials sciences and semiconductor …

The silicified cell walls of diatoms have inspired the interest of researchers for several
centuries, and our understanding of their properties and formation has developed in synch …

Colloidal silica is used in many applications including catalysis, pharmaceuticals, and
coatings. Although naturally formed silica materials are widely available, they are often in …

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 …

Diatoms are eukaryotic microalgae that produce species-specifically structured cell walls
made of SiO2 (silica). Formation of the intricate silica structures of diatoms is regarded as a …

Biomineralization processes leading to complex solid structures of inorganic material in
biological systems are constantly gaining attention in biotechnology and biomedical …

The efficiency of HIV infection is greatly enhanced when the virus is delivered at conjugates
between CD4+ T cells and virus-bearing antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages or …

Chitin is a globally abundant polymer widely distributed throughout eukaryotes that has
been well characterized in only a few lineages. Diatoms are members of the eukaryotic …

Soft X-ray tomography (SXT) is ideally suited to imaging sub-cellular architecture and
organization, particularly in eukaryotic cells. SXT is similar in concept to the well-established …

Background Biological mineral formation (biomineralization) proceeds in specialized
compartments often bounded by a lipid bilayer membrane. Currently, the role of membranes …