Theoretical studies of dynamical organization and design principles of biominerals

该奖项支持理论研究和教育，目的是了解生物体如何创造生物矿化结构的精细控制的微结构，从而导致其非凡的材料性能。这项工作的主要焦点是珍珠层或珍珠母，它具有高度受控和组织化的微观结构，具有非凡的强度和韧性-珍珠层比构成其95%的文石矿物坚硬3000倍。没有任何合成复合材料比它们的成分具有如此大的优势。珍珠层中的文石片是高度取向的，该领域的标准范例是晶体取向由分子尺度的化学模板控制。然而，PI和她的实验合作者最近的工作提供了强有力的证据，表明在珍珠层中，取向有序来自非线性动力学过程。该奖项支持研究：（1）将PI开发的用于动态建立珍珠层中文石片晶体取向的理论模型扩展到包括片状和柱状珍珠层，使得能够在各种生物的理论和实验之间进行更全面的比较，（2）研究珍珠层结构的其他方面，这些方面可能是由于动态的自我-组织过程类似于其他凝聚态物质系统和材料中的组织过程，（3）努力更好地理解这些高度组织和复杂结构正在利用的设计原理，（4）探索其他具有显著韧性的生物矿物系统（如海胆牙齿）的结构和性质的新实验的意义。将积极招募代表性不足群体的成员参加这一研究项目。非技术总结该奖项支持理论研究和教育，目的是了解生物体如何创造生物矿化结构的精细控制的微结构，从而导致其非凡的材料性能。这项工作的一个主要重点是珍珠层，或珍珠母，这是由一些软体动物产生的内壳层。珍珠层是一种非凡的材料，它具有高度受控和组织化的结构，具有非凡的强度和韧性-珍珠层比构成其95%的文石矿物坚硬3000倍。没有任何合成复合材料能比其成分强这么多。PI将开发模型，以了解导致珍珠层和其他生物矿物系统表现出显着的材料特性的组织良好的内部结构的物理过程。PI的优势是可以接触到研究这些材料的实验人员。对生物体如何制造具有显著特性的材料的更好理解可以导致发现具有广泛技术和工业应用的增强性能的新材料。将积极招募代表性不足的团体的成员参与本研究项目。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education with the goal to understand how living organisms create the exquisitely controlled microarchitectures of biomineralized structures that lead to their extraordinary materials properties. A main focus of the work is on nacre, or mother-of-pearl, which has a highly controlled and organized microstructure that gives rise to remarkable strength and toughness - nacre is 3000 times tougher than the aragonite mineral that constitutes 95% of it. No synthetic composites outperform their components by such large factors. The aragonite tablets in nacre are highly oriented, and the standard paradigm in the field is that the crystal orientations are controlled by molecular-scale chemical templation. However, recent work by the PI and her experimental collaborators presents strong evidence that in nacre, the orientational ordering arises from nonlinear dynamical processes. This award supports research to: (1) extend a theoretical model developed by the PI for dynamical establishment of aragonite tablet crystal orientation in nacre to encompass both sheet and columnar nacre, enabling more comprehensive comparison between theory and experiments on a variety of organisms, (2) investigate other aspects of nacre architecture that could be due to dynamical self-organization processes similar to those in other condensed matter systems and materials, (3) work to understand better the design principles that these highly organized and complex structures are exploiting, and (4) investigate the implication of new experiments probing the architecture and properties of other biomineral systems with remarkable toughness, such as sea urchin tooth. Members of underrepresented groups will be actively recruited to participate in this research project. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education with the goal to understand how living organisms create the exquisitely controlled microarchitectures of biomineralized structures that lead to their extraordinary materials properties. A main focus of the work is on nacre, or mother-of-pearl, which is produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer. It is a remarkable material that has a highly controlled and organized structure that gives rise to remarkable strength and toughness - nacre is 3000 times tougher than the aragonite mineral that constitutes 95% of it. No synthetic composites outperform their components by such large factors. The PI will develop models to understand the physical processes that lead to the well organized internal structure of nacre and other biomineral systems that exhibit remarkable materials properties. The PI has the advantage of access to experimentalists working on these materials. An improved understanding of how living organisms make materials with remarkable properties can lead to the discovery of new materials with enhanced performance for a wide range of technological and industrial applications.Members of underrepresented groups will be actively recruited to participate in this research project.