[ExpertScie]

Diatoms are the simplest form of single cellular life but had played a great complex role in evolution. They had a unique property of fixing the carbon dioxide which is available in the marine atmosphere Due to this they had being a subject of curiosity for researcher. Recently a new study at Oregon State University had been investigating the role of diatoms in bio-fuel production going back to dinosaur age. This is because they are tiny marine and one of the most pre-historic forms of life. Is has been discovered that they not only play role bio-fuel production but also had lot of contribution in and as semiconductors, biomedical products and health foods. Due to this potential in diatoms, there has been a grant of almost Two Million Dollar from National Science Foundation for four years for doing research and exploiting its applications.
In the life cycle of diatoms they plays an important role as a Carbon dioxide fixer and food generator, when the situation is not favorable for their survival, diatoms die and form a hard mass like which has many tubules like structure and different type of morphology with very minute structured pores formation. This mass get settle on the surface of the earth and form a very important layer which then support in formation of bio-fuel.
With new research going on , now a day’s diatoms are useful in many industries like as insulator, abrasive, in paper manufacturing, in optical image quality development for microscopes, in filtration process of beverages, in refining sweeteners, sugar manufacturing, in preparing the biological indicator and in evaluation water quality. These are the common uses of diatoms but with help of nanotechnology, it is now proved that diatoms can also be used in health industries and in space science as nutrients supplement for astronomers. In nanotechnology it can be use as a vehicle to deliver drug at specific site of infection. Also due its micro tubular structure and dense amount of silica, they are used in making semiconductor. By the use of genetic engineering special group of research is going on to isolate the silica forming proteins which can be used to prepare any kind of shape required. Thus Diatoms are one of the wonderful gifts of natures which prove that small is great!