Biomineralization: The Formation and Properties of Inorganic Biomaterials

3.0 credits · Graduate

This course will examine the wide variety of mineralized materials made by biological organisms including mollusk shells, sea urchins, mammalian bone and teeth, siliaceous sponges and diatoms, and magnetotactic bacteria. The focus will be on the molecular and biological mechanisms that lead to the formation of these materials as well as their unique mechanical, optical and optical properties.