Diatoms: Their strange evolution and remarkable properties

Abstract

We review some new literature on diatoms, with emphasis on genomics, evolution, ecology and biomimetic nanotechnical applications. Diatoms account for a substantial part of the photosynthetic production on this planet, and their genome is a mosaic of contributions from different sources. They occupy very diverse ecological niches, and may have been the first organisms to carry out C4 photosynthesis. Their frustrules (silica enclosures) with their elaborate sculpturing make it possible to follow the occurence of different forms back in time, and the frustrules is also the main reason that they are interesting for biotechnology.

Keywords

• C4 photosynthesis
• chloroplasts
• diatoms
• dynamite
• endosymbiosis
• nanotechnology