---
title: "Study Discovers Diatoms are a Kind of “Wonder Material,” May be the Next Graphene"
description: "Diatoms have been discovered to be much tougher than what we initially thought. In fact, they may be the next graphene-like super material."
date: "2016-02-12"
modified: "2016-02-12"
authors:
  - name: "Joi Matthew"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/joi-matthew"
url: "https://futurism.com/new-study-discovers-diatoms-are-wonder-materials"
categories:
  - "Future Materials"
  - "Graphene"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "caltech"
  - "Diatoms"
  - "frustules"
---

# Study Discovers Diatoms are a Kind of “Wonder Material,” May be the Next Graphene

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/diatoms_A.png>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/imgfeb05/img5bd25.jpg" target="\_blank"\>Futurism/ MA\</a\>\</em\>*

Diatoms are classified as a major group of algae. The most common types of diatoms are phytoplankton. They are single-celled, but they have been observed to form colonies in ribbon, filaments, zigzags and stars shapes. A diatom is encased in a wall made out of silica called frustules.

Really, they are quite beautiful. And as it turns out, they are also terribly strong.

[![Diatoms. Credit: Klaus Kemp](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/diatom-1.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/diatom-1.jpg>)
*Diatoms. Credit: Klaus Kemp*

Professor Julie Greer and her team from [Caltech](<https://www.caltech.edu/>) recently discovered that diatoms are actually tough and resilient, compared to previous studies. Test results show that it has higher strength-to-weight ratio than bones, teeth, and even antlers.

Greer and her team conducted three point bending experiments on the frustules. The results indicate that, although silica is a resilient material, it is also quite brittle. Frustules appear to have a honeycomb holes, which actually prevents the diatoms from breaking. The professor described it as, "\[t\]he presence of the holes delocalizes the concentrations of stress on the structure."

Based from the results of their findings, the team plans to create bio-inspired artificial structures using diatoms. They are now being compared to another [wonder material called graphene](<https://futurism.com/graphene-material-future>), which is also being developed to be used in a host of different materials.

Notably, this isn't the only way that diatoms are remarkable.

They [were recently used to package chemotherapeutic drugs](<https://futurism.com/genetically-engineered-algae-kills-cancer-cells-without-harming-healthy-cells>) in order to minimize their off-target toxicity. Moreover, these diatoms were engineered to produce antibody-binding proteins on their surface. The antibodies of interest only bind to molecules found on cancer cells, making delivery more specific. The algae nanoparticles were found to kill 90% of cancer cells in cultured human cells. The algae was also successful at killing cancer in mice with tumors.

You can learn more about diatoms in the video below.

[Diatoms: The Amazing World of Microscopic Organisms](<https://vimeo.com/149300208>) from [Futurism](<https://vimeo.com/user44439947>) on [Vimeo](<https://vimeo.com>).