Perspectives on applications of nanomaterials from shelled plankton

Biomineralization ubiquitously occurs in plankton, featuring hierarchically nanostructured shells that display several properties that benefit their host survival. Nanostructures' shapes and many of these properties are tunable through in vitro or in vivo modification of microorganisms, making their shells very appealing for applications in materials sciences. Despite the abundance of shell-forming species, research has focused mainly on diatoms and coccolithophores microalgae, with current scientific literature mostly targeting the development of photonic, biomedical and energy storage/conversion devices. This prospective article aims to critically overview potentialities of nanomaterials from biomineralizing plankton, possible outcomes and technological impact relevant to this technology.