Diatoms Promise Next Generation Paints

My first view through a microscope was at a diatom - a tiny, beautiful, crystalline creature that seemed to come in infinite shapes and configurations. Naturally iridescent, these microscopic plants with their silica shells may be the source of the next generation of paints, cosmetics, fabrics, and even the holograms on your credit cards. Scientists in the UK are growing diatoms in the laboratory, and believe they can scale up the process enough to make the industrial manufacture of paints and other products more environmentally friendly and cost effective.

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