Sea Creatures and Electronics

I just read an interesting article on Slashdot about how sea creatures could possibly provide the basis for new electronics. The article says that the shells of the the tiny sea creatures may help to lay the foundation for new electronic devices including an improved pollution detector. Scientists would use a chemical process that converts the shells into the semiconductor material silicon. The newly converted shells could then be useful as battery electrodes or chemical purifiers.

I find this article interesting because it really shows how nature can be just as effective a producer, if not more so, than humans.