Heart-cockle shells may work like fibre-optic cables

SLURPING OYSTERS from their shells may be a rare indulgence for humans, but these bivalve molluscs and their relatives, such as clams and mussels, slurp for a living. Most are filter feeders, ingesting microscopic organisms as well as debris from their aquatic environments. A handful of mollusc species, however, have formed symbiotic partnerships with algae that live within their tissues. These individuals augment their diet with sugars that their microscopic partners produce through photosynthesis.

Automating this delicate task is harder than it seems

They can guzzle extreme amounts for their size, without suffering ill effects

Such techniques have helped secure two convictions this year

Their efficiency rates far exceed those of conventional silicon panels

The company’s successes are also showing up the agency’s failings

The conditions are hot, sulphurous and low in oxygen