Читать книгу Diatom Microscopy - Группа авторов - Страница 21

The structural, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties of diatoms make them ideal research subjects for biomedical research and other fields. Diatoms have been used in photonics to fabricate optical devices based on the micro-meter and nano-meter pores in silica skeletons. It is also possible to load the diatom structure with specific proteins, enzymes, or antibodies for use as biosensors in disease diagnosis and drug carriers, and their biocompatibility and non-toxicity make them an ideal bone implant material. Nano-patterned diatom frustules can even be used to differentiate cancer cells from normal cells. Nonetheless, further advancements will depend on a comprehensive understanding of diatom structure and morphology, which can only be achieved using non-intrusive methods, such as optical microscopy. Fluorescence-based microscopic methods can also be used to gain deeper insights into the application of diatoms in other fields, such as the monitoring of marine environments in vivo or ex vivo. The use of multidimensional imaging in conjunction with spectroscopic and dynamic information provides the sensitivity and selectivity sufficient to detect events at the molecular level.