Microscopy and Microanalysis | 2021
High-throughput Characterization of CaCO3 Mineralization in Genetically Engineered Organisms
Abstract
Biologically sourced composite materials such as bone and nacre are a class of hybrid biomaterials that have unique materials properties due to a hierarchical structure of organic-inorganic constituents. One of the most remarkable traits of the organisms that produce these biomaterials is their ability to synthesize complex hierarchical structures with a high degree of control over the crystal morphology and composition over multiple length scales [1]. Recently, there has been more focus on characterizing the structures of biominerals and organic-inorganic composites found in various organisms [2–5]. Although the structures and compositions of these natural biomaterials are well characterized, there are significant gaps of knowledge in their synthesis processes, especially genetically controlled transport processes and the chemical and structural identities of intermediate phases. The ability to characterize inorganic structures in biomaterials fabricated by genetically engineered organisms is critical for the understanding of biomineralization pathways, elucidating cellular functions, and designing composite bioinspired materials with new functions.