Dear Colleagues,

Organisms demonstrate unrivaled control over the structure and properties of hierarchical, mineralized tissues with functions that range from mechanical support to the manipulation of light, and from the sensing of gravity and magnetic fields to chemical storage and detoxification. An organic matrix typically plays an integral role in both the formation of the composite tissues and in modulating critical material properties in the final material. During formation, organic matrix molecules are involved in controlling phase transformations (e.g., the selective formation of metastable amorphous mineral precursors and their conversion to specific crystalline polymorphs), with highly sophisticated control over the location, orientation, and shape of the inorganic component. Having found ways to manipulate solid phases at length scales from the atomic to the macroscopic, organisms are capable of feats that elude our most sophisticated syntheses. They can create hierarchical graded materials, shape single crystals with curved rather than faceted interfaces, or generate composites that are both fracture resistant and self-sharpening. Biomineralization provides a template for much milder, environmentally sustainable (‘green’) conditions as well. It is therefore not an exaggeration to say that there remains much that we can learn by investigating biomineralization processes toward the aim of bringing us one step closer to a more competitive low-carbon economy. Improving our understanding of biological ‘bottom up’ synthetic mechanisms is likely to impact any materials synthesis that involves inorganic/organic interfaces, including nanomaterials and structural materials as well as biomaterials. The investigation of human biomineralization is crucial to the treatment and prevention of common illnesses such as tooth caries and osteoporosis.

There are still unresolved questions about the factors that control the formation and growth of biominerals and how these principles can be transferred to the synthesis of materials. This Special Issue is an opportunity for the collection of state-of-the-art studies on i) new analytical approaches to characterize biominerals and their formation in humans, animals, plants, and microbes; ii) the resolution of structure–property relationships; and iii) the development of bioinspired materials.

We seek contributions from diverse approaches and perspectives, such as direct observation, molecular-scale insights into nucleation and growth, in vitro precipitation experiments, in vivo studies of biomineral-producing organisms, and inference from natural archives.

Dr. Linus Stegbaue
Dr. Anne Jantschke
Dr. Fabio Nudelman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• biomineralization
• biomimetic and bioinspired mineralization
• crystallization mechanisms
• composite materials
• structure–property relationships
• analytical characterization techniques
• biomineralization in paleontology and evolution