the fiber is often a costly, labor-intensive proposition, and scientists have sought to make fiber that is less susceptible to this problem. The sponge's solution is to use an organic sheath to cover the biological fiber, Aizenberg and her colleagues discovered. "These bio-optical fibers are extremely tough," she says. "You could tie them in tight knots, and, unlike com- mercial fiber, they would still not crack. Maybe we can learn how to improve on existing commercial fiber from studying these fibers of the Venus Flower Basket." Another advantage of these biological fibers is that they are formed by chemical deposition at the temperature of seawater. Commercial optical fiber is produced with the help of a high-temperature furnace and expensive equip- ment. Aizenberg says, "If we can learn from nature, there may be an alterna- tive way to manufacture fiber in the future." Should scientists succeed in emulating these natural processes, they may also help reduce the cost of producing optical fiber. "This is a good example where Mother Nature can help teach us about engineering materials," says Cherry Murray, senior vice president of physical sciences research at Bell Labs. "In this case, a relatively simple organism has a solution to a very complex problem in integrated optics and materials design. By studying the Venus Flower Basket, we are learning about low-cost ways of forming complex optical materials at low temperatures. While many years away from being applied to commercial use, this understanding could be very important in NEW OPTICAL MATERIALS reducing the cost and improving the reliability of future optical and telecom- munications equipment." 4.2.3 Mineral Wire Researchers have developed a process to create wires only 50nm (billionths of a meter) thick. Made from silica, the same mineral found in quartz, the wires carry light in an unusual way. Because the wires are thinner than the wave- lengths of light they transport, the material serves as a guide around which light waves flow. In addition, because t