Internal structure of sponge glass fiber revealed by ptychographic nanotomography

Sponge glass spicules have solicited great interest due to their mechanical and optical properties. Herein we use ptychographic nanotomography to obtain detailed insights into the internal structure of an anchor spicule from the Venus flower basket. The obtained dataset has 90 nm resolution in 3D and provides quantitative determination of the electron density. The data reveal significant variations in electron density across the spicule. The central organic filament is found to be slightly but significantly displaced from the spicule central axis. Analysis of the electron density affords an estimate of a protein volume fraction in the organic filament of about 70%. In the highly mineralized part of the spicule, the electron density is seen to display circular symmetry and be neigh independent of position along the spicule long axis. Variations in the electron density beyond those included in current models of spicule mechanics are observed.