Effective and sustainable environmental monitoring is fundamental for environmental pro-tection measures and research. The mass spectrometer used in these cases for identification and quantification of particles is inter alia made of a sample inlet system (SIS), which has to be both very pressure-resistant, and very permeable for an optimal registration of parti-cles in the deep sea. In this work, pore structures of diatoms are examined, which also have a high permeability and compressive strength due to the need of mass transfer and the function of their exo-skeleton. Using the finite element method, the 3D-modelled structures are compared re-garding their diffusion properties and the deflection at pressure load both among them-selves, and with the currently used SIS - membrane holders of sintered structures and steel springs. With respect to the design of an optimal sample inlet structure, the results show that the bionic structures allow a compromise between diffusion and deflection. Based on the re-sults the effects of different structural elements on the diffusion and the stiffness are dis-cussed. Both the design of the best possible pore size of the support structure for the mem-brane, and the integration of stiffening elements are of great importance for the structure of an innovative membrane holder. Finally a first approach to the development of an optimized membrane holder for sample inlet systems in the deep sea is presented.