Biomineralized composites, which are usually composed of microscopic mineral building
blocks organized in 3D intercrystalline organic matrices, have evolved unique structural …

The rapid decline of vulnerable coral reefs has increased the necessity of exploring
interdisciplinary methods for reef restoration. Examining how to upgrade these tools may …

Do corals form their skeletons by precipitation from solution or by attachment of amorphous
precursor particles as observed in other minerals and biominerals? The classical model …

A major goal in materials science is to develop bioinspired functional materials based on the
precise control of molecular building blocks across length scales. Here we report a protein …

Reef-building corals and their aragonite (CaCO3) skeletons support entire reef ecosystems,
yet their formation mechanism is poorly understood. Here we used synchrotron …

Biominerals are organic–mineral composites formed by living organisms. They are the
hardest and toughest tissues in those organisms, are often polycrystalline, and their …

Threats leading to a reduction in coral populations are apparent worldwide. Several different
approaches have been tested to accelerate the adaptation of corals to a changing climate …

The multi-scale hierarchical structure of tooth enamel enables it to withstand a lifetime of
damage without catastrophic failure. While many previous studies have investigated …

Polymeric spherulites are typically formed by melt crystallization: spherulitic growth in
solution is rare and requires complex polymers and dilute solutions. Here, we report the mild …

Although calcareous anatomical structures have evolved in diverse animal groups, such
structures have been unknown in insects. Here, we report the discovery of high-magnesium …