Lacy glass shells of diatom algae inspire new technology

https://phys.org/news/2023-05-lacy-glass-shells-diatom-algae.html

"high-performance low power miniature microphones, ultrafast, energy-saving photonic crystals for light signal processing, microelectromechanical systems and photonic integrated circuits... hardness, flexibility, and vibrational characteristics,''  interrogated algae 30 to 40 μm diameter... characteristics of living diatom cells and cleaned frustules without organic"