By controlling the growth of inorganic crystals, macro-biomolecules, including proteins, play pivotal roles in modulating biomineralization. Natural proteins that promote biomineralization are often composed of simple repeats of peptide sequences; however, the relationship between these repetitive structures and their functions remains largely unknown. Here we show that an artificial protein co...

Organisms produce various organic/inorganic hybrid materials, which are called biominerals. They form through the self-organization of organic molecules and inorganic elements under ambient conditions. Biominerals often have highly organized and hierarchical structures from nanometer to macroscopic length scales, resulting in their remarkable physical and chemical properties that cannot be obta...

An engineered strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMCD1) is capable of the direct extracellular biomineralization of CdS quantum dot nanocrystals from buff ered aqueous solution of cadmium acetate and L-cysteine without the addition of a chemically reactive precursor. Nanocrystal synthesis is strongly influenced by both the Lcysteine/cadmium acetate ratio and pH of the solution. The observe...

Dense ceramic materials can form in nature under mild temperatures in water. By contrast, man-made ceramics often require sintering temperatures in excess of 1,400 °C for densification. Chemical strategies inspired by biomineralization processes have been demonstrated but remain limited to the fabrication of thin films and particles. Besides biomineralization, the formation of dense ceramic-lik...