Ritchie and Group (IMAGE) DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Caption Robert Ritchie (seated) led a research effort in which the microstructure of mother of pearl was mimicked to create what may well be the toughest ceramic ever produced. Collaborating with Ritchie were (from left) Maximilien Launey, Daan Hein Alsem, Eduardo Saiz and Antoni Tomsia. Credit Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.