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Giant clams, which anchor themselves to coral reefs in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, can grow to up to 3-feet long and weigh hundreds of pounds. Anyone who has ever gone snorkeling in Australia or the western tropical Pacific Ocean might have noticed that the surfaces of giant clams are iridescent, appearing to sparkle before the naked eye.
The lustrous cells on the surface of the clam scatter bright sunlight, which typically runs the risk of causing fatal damage to the cell, but the clams efficiently convert the sunlight into fuel. Using what they learn from these giant clams, the researchers hope to improve the process of producing biofuel.Image credit: Shu Yang and Alison M. Sweeney/University of Pennsylvania
