Protists dominate primary production and biomass in the oceans and have the highest biodiversity of all marine autotrophic taxa. Recent investigations indicate that an evolutionary arms race between defensive diatom frustules - silicified cell walls - and diverse predators has been the dominating factor in shaping ecological niches on the basis of biomechanical principles. Thereby, small differences in the frustule morphology can cause significant differences in their mechanical performance. The systematic research on the biomechanical properties of protist cell covers will link functional morphology/ biomechanics to taxonomy and evolution, using the extensive collection of protist exoskeletons present at Marine Science Institutions.

Another aspect of our research on cell wall biomechanics concerns the development of industrial applications. Research on new, sophisticated lightweight solutions is a strategically highly relevant research topic, especially since the problem of increasing CO2 in the atmosphere and diminishing energy and material resources contrast with an increasing demand for transport and mobility. Using pre-optimized structures such as the diatoms from scientific collections in combination with advanced 3D-modelling and optimization methods has the potential to produce radically new and more efficient lightweight structures. The biomechanical study of protist cell walls thus offers fascinating potentials for new taxonomic and scientific approaches, technology transfer, and public outreach.