Microscopy techniques for investigating the control of organic constituents on biomineralization
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Introduction One of the universal characteristics of biomineralizing systems is that macromolecular constituents, such as proteins and polysaccharides, are found in close association with mineral constituents.1,2 Some of these organic components are water soluble, but others assemble to create an insoluble scaffold within which the minerals form. This intimate relationship between the matrix and mineral, along with the unusual morphologies of biominerals and the common occurrence of metastable mineral phases, suggests that the organic matrix actively controls mineral nucleation and growth. Moreover, significant quantities of the organic matrix are typically occluded within the resulting hierarchically structured tissues3 (discussed further by Schenk and Kim in this issue of MRS Bulletin). This composite architecture endows biominerals with remarkable mechanical properties and, as a result, during the past few decades, biomineral systems have inspired developments in materials synthesis of new composite materials.4,5 However, truly emulating biological processes for novel material creation has yet to be fully realized, because both the mechanisms by which the macromolecular matrix assembles
and mineralizes and the principles underlying the structure– function relationships of mineralized tissues are poorly understood. Recent advances in the application of microscopy techniques to define both the processes of matrix assembly and mineralization and the hierarchical distribution of the matrix and mineral are beginning to fill the gaps in our understanding of both formation and properties. Here we review some of these advances, using examples from biological as well as bioinspired systems to illustrate the insights they have enabled. Table I provides a summary of the microscopy techniques discussed, including their benefits and limitations within the scope of analyzing biominerals and bioinspired systems.
Visualizing matrix assembly and mineral formation What mechanisms and energetic factors control nucleation and growth? In recent years, investigations of matrix assembly and mineralization have been performed to better understand the in vivo mechanisms that control these processes. In situ methods have been particularly important, because dynamic behavior occurs
Coit T. Hendley IV, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, USA; [email protected] Jinhui Tao, Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA; [email protected] Jennie A.M.R. Kunitake, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, USA; [email protected] James J. De Yoreo, Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, USA; [email protected] Lara A. Estroff, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, USA; [email protected] DOI: 10.1557/mrs.2015.98
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MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 40 • JUNE 2015 • www.mrs.org/bulletin
© 2015 Materials Re
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