The search for microfossils in the geological record has been a long-term challenge. Part of the problem comes from the difficulty of identifying such microfossils unambiguously, since they can be morphologically confused with abiotic biomorphs. One route to improve our ability to correctly identify microfossils involves studying fossilization processes affecting bacteria in modern settings. We...

The microstructure and its crystallographic aspect of the shell of a limpet, Lottiakogamogai, have been investigated, as the first step to clarify the mechanism of shell formation in limpet. The shell consists of five distinct layers stacked along the shell thickness direction. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with the focused ion beam (FIB) sample preparation technique was primarily adop...

Introduction Conclusions References

The occurrence frequency of the {110} twin in aragonite is explained by the existence of an important substructure (60% of the atoms) which crosses the composition surface with only minor perturbation (about 0.2 Å) and constitutes a common atomic network facilitating the formation of the twin. The existence of such a common substructure is shown by the C2/c pseudo-eigensymmetry of the crystallo...

Calcium carbonate is a porous inorganic nanomaterial with huge potential in biomedical applications and controlled drug delivery. This study aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties and in vitro efficacy and safety of cockle shell aragonite calcium carbonate nanocrystals (ANC) as a potential therapeutic and hormonal delivery vehicle for osteoporosis management. Free and human recombin...

Nacre has recently attracted the attention of the research community. This biocomposite has exceptional strength and toughness with respect the materials it is made of. The design of nano and micro composite inspired from nacre requires a deep understanding of nacre microstructure and mechanical properties. In this work, the elastic properties of aragonite tablets in nacre were determined using...