Crystallisation in crowded media

这个项目解决了我们在理解生物如何控制结晶过程以产生骨骼和贝壳等结构方面的一个关键知识缺口。生物环境的一个显著特点是，几乎所有的反应都发生在高度拥挤的介质中；总体积的20%-40%被大分子、有机小分子和离子占据。这些拥挤的环境对生物系统的功能至关重要，以至于稀释的缓冲溶液不能提供生命系统的真实代表。生物矿化过程由有机分子控制。因此，已经做出了重大努力来确定单个生物分子在控制矿化中所起的作用，这是通过从生物矿物中提取大分子并在体外测试它们作为结晶添加剂的行为来实现的。值得注意的是，这些实验通常是在稀释、过度简化的反应环境中进行的，大多数实验未能复制生物防治的关键特征，如选择晶体多晶型。一个例外是使用水凝胶作为结晶环境，在这种环境中，这些粘性介质可以减少对流。然而，它们与拥挤的大分子环境非常不同，因为它们只呈现低固体含量(&lt；1wt%)。因此，不可能使用这些属性来调整解决方案属性。该项目将通过评估控制分子在拥挤的大分子环境中指导结晶过程的能力，对生物矿化过程-特别是从小有机分子到大分子的控制分子的功能-有了新的理解。将调查这些影响的来源，并将所获得的理解应用于合成系统，在该系统中，许多技术上重要的材料可以在拥挤的环境中使用多元醇合成来制备。

This project addresses a crucial knowledge gap in our understanding of how organisms control crystallisation processes to generate structures such as bones and seashells. A striking feature of biological environments is that almost every reaction occurs in highly crowded media;20-40% of the total volume is occupied with macromolecules, small organic molecules and ions. The vital importance of these crowded environments in the function of biological systems is such that dilute buffer solutions cannot provide a realistic representation of living systems.Biomineralisation processes are controlled by organic molecules. Significant efforts have therefore been made to determine the roles played by individual biomolecules in controlling mineralisation, where this is achieved by extracting macromolecules from biominerals, and testing their behaviour as crystallisation additives in vitro. Notably, these experiments are typically carried out in dilute, over- simplified reaction environments and most have failed to replicate key features of biological control such as selection of crystal polymorph. The one exception is the use of hydrogels as crystallisation environments, where these viscous media reduce convection. However, they are quite distinct from crowded macromolecular environments as they only present low solid contents (< 1wt%). It is therefore not possible to use these to tune the solution properties. This project will develop a new understanding of biomineralisation processes - and specifically the functions of control molecules ranging from small organic molecules to macromolecules - by evaluating their ability to direct crystallisation processes in crowded macromolecular environments. The origin of these effects will be investigated, and the understanding gained will be applied to synthetic systems, where many technologically-important materials can be prepared in crowded environments using polyol synthesis.