Biomineralization provides living organisms with various materials for the formation of resilient structures. Calcium phosphate is the main component of teeth and bones in vertebrates, whereas especially silica serves for the protection against herbivores on many plant surfaces. Functional calcium phosphate structures are well-known from the animal kingdom, but had not so far been reported from...

The growth of molluscan shell crystals is generally thought to be initiated from the extrapallial fluid by matrix proteins, however, the cellular mechanisms of shell formation pathway remain unknown. Here, we first report amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) precipitation by cellular biomineralization in primary mantle cell cultures of Pinctada fucata. Through real-time PCR and western blot analys...

Fundamental aspects of biomineralization may be important in order to understand and improve calcification onto the surface of biomaterials. The biomineralization process is mainly followed in vitro by assessing the evolution of the apatite layer that is formed upon immersion of the material in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF). In this work we propose an innovative methodology to monitor apatite depo...

Seawater acidification and warming resulting from anthropogenic production of carbon dioxide are increasing threats to marine ecosystems. Previous studies have documented the effects of either seawater acidification or warming on marine calcifiers; however, the combined effects of these stressors are poorly understood. In our study, we examined the interactive effects of elevated carbon dioxide...

Biomineralization in the marine phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi is a stringently controlled intracellular process. The molecular basis of coccolith production is still relatively unknown although its importance in global biogeochemical cycles and varying sensitivity to increased pCO₂ levels has been well documented. This study looks into the role of several candidate Ca²⁺, H⁺ and inorganic carb...

A large variety of organisms are capable of synthesizing hard matter in a process called biomineralization [1]. The transformation of a genetic blueprint into minerals such as, for example, calcium phosphate in bones and calcium carbonate in eggs or seashells provides a mechanical support for organismic growth and protection against predators, respectively. Iron oxides formed by fishes and bird...

Tripolyphosphate (TPP) crosslinked chitosan (CH)-based fibrous matrices have potential as bioactive scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This study describes mechanical, biomineralization, and in vitro bone cell growth and differentiation properties of CH-TPP (chitosan-tripolyphosphate) fibrous scaffolds and compared with that of uncrosslinked CH one. The hydrated CH-TPP scaffolds were viscoe...

Moonmilk is a karstic speleothem mainly composed of fine calcium carbonate crystals (CaCO3) with different textures ranging from pasty to hard, in which the contribution of biotic rock-building processes is presumed to involve indigenous microorganisms. The real microbial input in the genesis of moonmilk is difficult to assess leading to controversial hypotheses explaining the origins and the m...

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) form superparamagnetic magnetite to act as a magnetoreceptor for magnetoreception. Biomineralization of superparamagnetic magnetite occurs in the iron deposition vesicles of trophocytes. Even though magnetite has been demonstrated, the mechanism of magnetite biomineralization is unknown. In this study, proteins in the iron granules and iron deposition vesicles of trop...

Achieving oriented and ordered remineralization on the surface of demineralized dental enamel, thereby restoring the satisfactory mechanical properties approaching those of sound enamel, is still a challenge for dentists. To mimic the natural biomineralization approach for enamel remineralization, the biological process of enamel development proteins, such as amelogenin, was simulated in this s...