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In an even more cutting-edge pursuit, other researchers have been able to replace the silica in a diatom shell with other materials such as magnesium.

"By replacing the silica with a metal, you might be able to combine electrical and optical properties in the same device," Hildebrand said.

Currently Hildebrand has one interested patron. The U.S. Air Force has provided some funding for a study of optical properties in diatom shells, an example of what are called "photonic bandgap materials." They possess the ability to route light by blocking some wavelengths, and allowing others to pass through their structure. Fiber-optic materials, which transmit information by converting it through pulses of light, are also made of glass but absorb 70 percent of the light. The porous three-dimensional structure of diatoms enables routing of light with only two percent absorption.

The diatom structures are too small to create better optical cable, but they could be ideal for creating ultrasensitive sensors. On a computer circuitry scale, they could prove a boon to computer chip makers looking for more efficient ways to move information across nanometer-sized spaces.

"Although the downsizing of chips by the semiconductor industry has enhanced our information storage and processing capability, there are limits to the amount of information that can be processed using electrons," Hildebrand said. "Light can carry a lot of information, which is why optical circuitry is seen as the major paradigm shift in this technology."

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