Mineralization of microorganisms

Materials and Devices Based on Biomimetic and Bioinspired Mineralization 

200 nm, and 50 nm). (Reprinted with permission from Ref. [223]. Copyright 2011, American Chemical Society.) 

Nanoparticles (e.g., quantum dots) Diphtheria toxin A-chain 

The most recent and most ambitious examples of integration of biomineralization strategies into biotechnologically relevant applications concern materials where whole living cells have been encapsulated. Although few examples have made it into commercial products, some examples are worth mentioning. Encapsulating whole cells in biomineral porous matrices allows the 

Overall, the field of biomimetic sol-gel materials has proven to be a rich source of fundamental and applied developments over a wide multidisciplinary landscape. It is also an area with a great future ahead of it, which, apart from its scientific and technical interest, will contribute to the current societal and philosophical debates related to the frontiers between the natural and the synthetic worlds and the place of living matter in man-made technology. 

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Allen, C., Probst, L.W., Flood, B.E., Longazo, T.G., Scheble, R.T. Westall, F. (2004) Meridiani Planum hematite deposit and the search for evidence of life on Mars - iron mineralization of microorganisms in rock varnish. Icarus 171, 20-30. 

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