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REVIEW

Recent progress in hierarchically structured diatom biosilica for biomedical technologies: From properties to applications

Nadia Tuada Afnan1 ,  M. Novan Agandra Rois1 ,  Zeini Alkarina Fajrin1 ,  Alfredo Kono1 ,  Zeily Nurachman1 ,  Rindia M. Putri1,2*
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1 Biochemistry and Biomolecular Engineering Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
2 Research Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
BMT, 230 https://doi.org/10.12336/bmt.25.00230
Submitted: 16 November 2025 | Revised: 19 March 2026 | Accepted: 16 April 2026 | Published: 26 June 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). Licensee Biomaterials Translational, USA. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en)
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Abstract

Nature has evolved an intricate silica architecture through a class of microalgae known as diatoms. Diatoms are encased in nanostructured silica shells with unique hierarchical pores and high surface area. These naturally formed structures combine distinct optical, mechanical, and chemical features with abundant surface silanol groups, enabling diverse functionalization. As a result, diatom-derived biosilica is increasingly recognized as a sustainable and adaptable material for biomedical applications. This review brings together recent developments in applying nanostructured diatom biosilica across two broad categories: therapeutic applications, encompassing drug delivery and controlled release, tissue engineering and bone regeneration, wound healing and hemostasis, and phototherapy; and diagnostic applications, including surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence-based detection. Advances in surface functionalization and hybrid material design are discussed, along with physicochemical and biocompatibility profiles. Several key challenges remain, including batch-to-batch variability, limited in vivo data, and undefined regulatory pathways, and future progress will depend on deepening mechanistic understanding, integrating advanced fabrication and computational tools, and establishing structured pre-clinical roadmaps. By combining nature’s nanotechnology with modern biomaterials engineering, diatom biosilica offers promising directions toward safer, more effective, and sustainable translational applications. 

Keywords
Biosilica
Diatoms
Drug delivery
Tissue regeneration
Phototherapy
Funding
This work is supported by the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and managed under the EQUITY Program (Contract No. 4298/ B3/DT.03.08/2025); Directorate for Research and Innovation (DRI), Institut Teknologi Bandung, through the “Program Talenta Unggul Pusat Kajian Halal (PKH)” 2025 (Grant No. DRI.PN-6-195-2025); the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology through “Pendidikan Magister menuju Doktor untuk Sarjana Unggulan” program (Grant No. 1343/D3/PG/2018); Institut Teknologi Bandung “Riset ITB” 2024 (Grant No. 959/IT1.B07.1/ TA.00/2024).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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