A beetle from south east Asia is being studied by a St Austell-based mineral company in the hope of finding the secret to creating brilliant white materials.

Imerys Minerals, which develops mineral coatings for products such as plastic and paper, has been working with the University of Exeter to discover whether they can create a pigment that would give a whiter appearance on ultra-thin materials.

The Cyphochilus beetle, from south east Asia, has a highly unusual shell that is whiter than milk or a human tooth. To create such an appearance on products, the mineral coating would have to be twice as thick.

It is hoped that by studying the beetle scientists might be able to develop a way of creating a white pigment that only needs to be used in one coat.

Dr Pete Vukusic, from the University of Exeter's School of Physics, said: "In future, the paper we write on, the colour of our teeth and even the efficiency of the rapidly emerging new generation of white light sources will be significantly improved if technology can take and apply the design ideas we learn from this beetle."