Growing seashells in the lab

摘要

Synthetic crystals which mimic the structure and properties of naturally occurring biominerals such as seashells and bone have been created under environmentally-friendly conditions by a team of UK scientists.A key feature of biomaterials is their nanocomposite structure which derives from the inanimate association of organic molecules with a mineral host-usually calcium carbonates. This results in incredibly hard structures, with mechanical properties rivalling man-made material like ceramics.