If you know what diatoms are, it's probably because of their beauty. These single-celled algae found on the ocean floor have ornate glassy shells that shine like jewels under the microscope. Their ...

The silicate framework of a diatom does not conduct electricity. For a scanning electron microscope image it would therefore have to be coated, which can result in details of the structure not being ...

Diatoms are unique phytoplankton in that they need silicic acid to produce silica cell walls. Under the microscope they look like beautiful glass jewellery boxes, but importantly, this dense, ...