A simple route for synthesizing nano-sized beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) at room temperature has been developed in methanol solvent. The phase evolution from CaHPO4, intermediate amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) phases (including ACP1 and ACP2 with different structures) to final beta-TCP with increasing aging time was observed. The formation of beta-TCP phase is favored due to the incor...

Synthesis of alkaline phosphatase in Escherichia coli is repressed in the presence of a high concentration of orthophosphate in a medium. Formation of the enzyme is under a control of two regulator genes, phoR and phoS, and mutation in either phoR or phoS overcomes a repression produced by the presence of a high concentration of orthophosphate. The phoR gene lies close to a structural gene of a...

Casein phosphor-peptides-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) products have been widely used in the field of preventive dentistry. CPP exerts its main effect through binding and stabilizing calcium and phosphate ions (ACP) in an amorphous, non-crystalline state where they can enter enamel and enhance remineralization. The following article presents a background on these products, in addition t...

Phosphocitrate [PC] is a powerful inhibitor of biological crystallization and a potential disease modifying drug for crystal associated diseases such as crystals associated osteoarthritis [OA]. Recently, it has been reported that a new PC complex salt, calcium sodium PC [CaNaPC], is much more powerful than its precursor, sodium PC [NaPC], in reducing the size of chemically-induced calcified pla...

Calcium carbonate is an abundant substance that can be created in several mineral forms by the reaction of dissolved carbon dioxide in water with calcium ions. Through biomineralization, organisms can harness and control this process to form various functional materials that can act as anything from shells through to lenses. The early stages of calcium carbonate formation have recently attracte...

We investigate "Posner molecules", calcium phosphate clusters with chemical formula Ca9(PO4)6. Originally identified in hydroxyapatite, Posner molecules have also been observed as free-floating molecules in vitro. The formation and aggregation of Posner molecules have important implications for bone growth, and may also play a role in other biological processes such as the modulation of calcium...

A cogent understanding of the microstructure, and indeed nano-structure, of hydroxyapatite (HA) and the interface between Ti-6Al-4V and HA is crucial to its appropriateness as a biomaterials. This paper reports the analysis of plasma-sprayed HA/Ti-6Al-4V composites by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to elucidate the intricate nature of...