Figure 2: Valve synthesis.
From: Functionalization of the living diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii with thiol moieties
Valve synthesis occurs when T. weissflogii is cultured in the presence of TMOS/MPTMS. Brightfield (a,c,e,g,i) and fluorescent (b,d,f,h,j) images of T. weissflogii cultures grown in the presence of 100 ng ml−1 PDMPO for 24 h. Valve synthesis is not observed in silica-depleted cultures or MPTMS-treated cultures. A silica precursor capable of generating a siloxane backbone is necessary for valve synthesis. Scale bar, 10 μm.
