Chiton tooth composites: from biosynthetic mechanisms to bioinspired, highly wear resistant materials

大自然拥有对矿化组织（如牙齿和骨骼）的结构和性质的前所未有的控制，以任何方式弯曲单晶，并创造出坚韧而轻质的自我修复骨骼结构。矿物周围的有机基质在选择性地形成和模板化亚稳矿物前体并引导其转化为最终状态方面起着关键作用。大自然的精确控制从原子水平开始，超越了目前的合成能力。现代材料制造缺乏落后，需要大量的能源来加工和合成用于半导体，医药或建筑的材料-通常在高温和高压下进行广泛的自上而下的制造步骤。科学家有责任找到创新的方法来减少这种碳足迹。该项目的总体目标是更好地了解石鳖牙齿的生物矿化，它由最坚硬和最耐磨的生物材料之一，磁铁矿/甲壳素复合材料组成，并将这一新知识转移到具有优异性能的新型纳米复合材料的合成中。为此，1）我研究的作用，在有机基质中的蛋白质在牙齿形成的最先进的蛋白质组学方法。2)我应用穆斯堡尔成像的新技术来仔细观察牙齿发育不同阶段的铁物种。3)我使用自组装单分子膜（SAMs）来模拟有机/无机相互作用的基础上，生物启发的铁结合基序发现的点1和2。4)我转移这方面的知识，调查功能化甲壳素/磁铁矿纳米复合材料的形成。这个项目将激发和提供独特的培训，让我接触到化学，生物学和材料科学的多学科领域，使我能够开始自己的学术生涯。

Nature possesses an unreached control over structure and properties of mineralized tissues such as teeth and bones, curving single crystals in any fashion and creating tough and light weight self-repairing skeletal structures. An organic matrix surrounding the minerals plays a critical role in selectively forming and templating metastable mineral precursors and directing its transformation into the final state. Nature’s precise control starts from atomic level and exceeds current synthetic capabilities. Modern material fabrication lacks behind and needs large amount of energy to process and synthesize materials for semiconductors, medicine or construction – often in extensive top-down fabrication steps at high temperature and high pressure. It is a responsibility of scientists to find innovative methods for decreasing the carbon footprint of this. The overall aim of the project is to better understand the biomineralization of the chiton’s teeth, which consists of one of the hardest and most wear-resistant biogenic materials, a magnetite/chitin composite, and to transfer this new knowledge into the synthesis of new nanocomposite materials with outstanding properties. For this,1) I investigate the role of the proteins in the organic matrix during tooth formation by state-of-the-art proteomics methods. 2) I apply the novel technique of Mössbauer imaging to have a closer look on the iron species in the different stages of development of the teeth. 3) I use selfassembled monolayers (SAMs) to mimic the organic/inorganic interactions based upon bioinspired iron binding motif discovered by point 1 and 2. 4) I transfer this knowledge to investigate the formation of a functionalized chitin/magnetite nanocomposite. This project will inspire and offer unique training by exposing me to this multidisciplinary field where chemistry, biology and materials science meet, enabling me to embark on my own academic career.