ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to emphasize the impetus atomic force microscope (AFM) has provided in placing diatoms under the nanotechnology spotlight by highlighting some of the research in this field. Diatom research has seen a significant shift in the motivation behind fundamental aspects of their biology. An emphasis on nanotechnology research and related applications has certainly been a major factor in shaping the context of the research. The exhaustive work in elucidating the mechanistic origins and genetic and molecular processes has also brought nanotechnology researchers closer to an understanding of the cell wall and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) biology and their potential applications. AFM force measurements on the EPS coating have shown a non-linear increase in the force acting on the cantilever tip as it is indented into the surface, followed by a relaxation in the force, which is not fully recovered, as the tip is retracted away.
