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View article: Precursor Mineral Phases of Forming Mollusk Shell Nacre: A Study of Hydrated Samples
Precursor Mineral Phases of Forming Mollusk Shell Nacre: A Study of Hydrated Samples Open
Mollusk shell nacre is an advanced functional material composed of layers of flat tablet‐shaped crystals of aragonite. The formation and growth of individual tablets can be studied on the forming surface. Such studies reveal that a disorde…
View article: 3D cryoimaging of cell-mediated cholesterol crystal clearance in human atherosclerotic lesions
3D cryoimaging of cell-mediated cholesterol crystal clearance in human atherosclerotic lesions Open
We applied micro-computed tomography, high-resolution cryo-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with cathodoluminescence, and cryo-focused ion beam Milling-SEM to perform three-dimensional imaging of human atherosclerotic tissues wi…
View article: pH variations enable guanine crystal formation within iridosomes
pH variations enable guanine crystal formation within iridosomes Open
Many animals produce vivid colors by reflecting and amplifying light with stacked guanine crystals within membrane-bound organelles called iridosomes. While the presence of guanine crystals in iridosomes is well documented, the mechanisms …
View article: Specialized molecular pathways drive the formation of light-scattering assemblies in leucophores
Specialized molecular pathways drive the formation of light-scattering assemblies in leucophores Open
Pigmentation plays a vital role in the survival of organisms, supporting functions such as camouflage, communication, and mate attraction. In vertebrates, these functions are mediated by specialized pigment cells known as chromatophores of…
View article: Snapshots of mitochondrial fission imaged by cryo-scanning transmission electron tomography
Snapshots of mitochondrial fission imaged by cryo-scanning transmission electron tomography Open
Mitochondria undergo constant remodeling via fission, fusion, extension and degradation. Fission, in particular, depends on the accumulation of mitochondrial fission factor (MFF) and subsequent recruitment of the dynamin-related protein DR…
View article: Guanine crystal formation by the unicellular organism Phacotus lenticularis is part of a cellular stress response
Guanine crystal formation by the unicellular organism Phacotus lenticularis is part of a cellular stress response Open
Organic crystals, and in particular guanine crystals, are widely used by multicellular organisms for manipulating light and producing structural colors. Many single celled eukaryotic organisms also produce organic crystals, and guanine is …
View article: Non‐Stoichiometric Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Forms in Macromolecular Condensates via Interphase Diffusion
Non‐Stoichiometric Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Forms in Macromolecular Condensates via Interphase Diffusion Open
Transient amorphous phases are known as functional precursors in the formation of crystalline materials, both in vivo and in vitro. A common route to regulate amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) crystallization is via direct interactions wit…
View article: Specialized Molecular Pathways Drive the Formation of Light-Scattering Assemblies in Leucophores
Specialized Molecular Pathways Drive the Formation of Light-Scattering Assemblies in Leucophores Open
Pigmentation plays a vital role in the survival of organisms, supporting functions such as camouflage, communication, and mate attraction. In vertebrates, these functions are mediated by specialized pigment cells known as chromatophores of…
View article: A pH-Dependent Phase Separation Drives Polyamine-Mediated Silicification from Undersaturated Solutions
A pH-Dependent Phase Separation Drives Polyamine-Mediated Silicification from Undersaturated Solutions Open
Silica polymerization from its soluble monomers is fundamental to many chemical processes. Although industrial methods require harsh conditions and concentrated precursors, biological silica precipitation occurs under ambient conditions fr…
View article: Snapshots of Mitochondrial Fission Imaged by Cryo-Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography
Snapshots of Mitochondrial Fission Imaged by Cryo-Scanning Transmission Electron Tomography Open
Mitochondria undergo constant remodeling via fission, fusion, extension, and degradation. Fission, in particular, depends on the accumulation of the mitochondrial fission factor (MFF) and subsequent recruitment of the dynamin-related prote…
View article: Genetic control over biogenic crystal morphogenesis in zebrafish
Genetic control over biogenic crystal morphogenesis in zebrafish Open
Organisms evolve mechanisms that regulate the properties of biogenic crystals to support a wide range of functions, from vision and camouflage to communication and thermal regulation. Yet, the mechanism underlying the formation of diverse …
View article: Controlled pH Alteration Enables Guanine Accumulation and Drives Crystallization within Iridosomes
Controlled pH Alteration Enables Guanine Accumulation and Drives Crystallization within Iridosomes Open
Many animals exhibit remarkable colors produced by the constructive interference of light reflected from arrays of intracellular guanine crystals. These systems are utilized for various purposes, including vision, camouflage, communication…
View article: Protein Compartments Modulate Fibrillar Self‐Assembly
Protein Compartments Modulate Fibrillar Self‐Assembly Open
A notable feature of complex cellular environments is protein‐rich compartments that are formed via liquid–liquid phase separation. Recent studies have shown that these biomolecular condensates can play both promoting and inhibitory roles …
View article: Transport‐Limited Growth of Coccolith Crystals
Transport‐Limited Growth of Coccolith Crystals Open
Biogenic crystals present a variety of complex morphologies that form with exquisite fidelity. In the case of the intricate morphologies of coccoliths, calcite crystals produced by marine algae, only a single set of crystallographic facets…
View article: On the Helical Crystals of Cholesterol Monohydrate
On the Helical Crystals of Cholesterol Monohydrate Open
We review in this short perspective the history of cholesterol crystals and crystal structures. We address in particular the helical crystals that form in vitro and in pathology from environments rich in bile acids or from phospholipid mem…
View article: Polymer-Rich Dense Phase Can Concentrate Metastable Silica Precursors and Regulate Their Mineralization
Polymer-Rich Dense Phase Can Concentrate Metastable Silica Precursors and Regulate Their Mineralization Open
Multistep mineralization processes are pivotal in the fabrication of functional materials and are often characterized by far from equilibrium conditions and high supersaturation. Interestingly, such 'nonclassical' mineralization pathways a…
View article: Plate-like Guanine Biocrystals Form via Templated Nucleation of Crystal Leaflets on Preassembled Scaffolds
Plate-like Guanine Biocrystals Form via Templated Nucleation of Crystal Leaflets on Preassembled Scaffolds Open
Controlling the morphology of crystalline materials is challenging, as crystals have a strong tendency toward thermodynamically stable structures. Yet, organisms form crystals with distinct morphologies, such as the plate-like guanine crys…
View article: Biogenic plate-like guanine crystals form via templated nucleation of thin crystal leaflets on amyloid scaffolds
Biogenic plate-like guanine crystals form via templated nucleation of thin crystal leaflets on amyloid scaffolds Open
Controlling the morphology of crystalline materials is challenging, as crystals have a strong tendency towards thermodynamically stable structures. Yet, organisms form crystals with distinct morphologies, such as the plate-like guanine cry…
View article: Examining atherosclerotic lesions in three dimensions at the nanometer scale with cryo-FIB-SEM
Examining atherosclerotic lesions in three dimensions at the nanometer scale with cryo-FIB-SEM Open
We employed in a correlative manner an unconventional combination of methods, comprising cathodoluminescence, cryo–scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cryo–focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM, to examine the volumes of thousands of cubed microm…
View article: The Colon Mucosal Sialylglycome Is Redox-Regulated by the Golgi Enzyme QSOX1
The Colon Mucosal Sialylglycome Is Redox-Regulated by the Golgi Enzyme QSOX1 Open
Mucus shields the intestinal epithelium from pathogens and provides a supportive environment for commensal bacteria. Mucus is composed of enormous, heavily glycosylated proteins called mucins, which become disulfide crosslinked in a multi-…
View article: Crystalline Cholesterol: The Material and Its Assembly Lines
Crystalline Cholesterol: The Material and Its Assembly Lines Open
Cholesterol is an essential component of animal cell membranes because it influences and controls cell membrane fluidity. Cholesterol is also responsible for the most frequent lethal pathologies in developed countries because of its intima…
View article: Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol·H <sub>2</sub> O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective
Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol·H <sub>2</sub> O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective Open
We revisit the important issues of polymorphism, structure, and nucleation of cholesterol·H2O using first-principles calculations based on dispersion-augmented density functional theory. For the lesser known monoclinic polymorph, we obtain…
View article: Intracellular nanoscale architecture as a master regulator of calcium carbonate crystallization in marine microalgae
Intracellular nanoscale architecture as a master regulator of calcium carbonate crystallization in marine microalgae Open
Significance Some organisms evolved an extraordinary ability to control the formation of inorganic crystals. This is usually attributed to the localization of biomineralization processes to specialized and controlled cellular environments.…
View article: Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective
Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective Open
We revisit the important issues of polymorphism, structure, and nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate, using first principles calculations based on dispersion-augmented density functional theory. For the lesser known monoclinic polymorph, …
View article: Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective
Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective Open
We revisit the important issues of polymorphism, structure, and nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate, using first principles calculations based on dispersion-augmented density functional theory. For the lesser known monoclinic polymorph, …
View article: Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective
Polymorphism, Structure, and Nucleation of Cholesterol.H2O at Aqueous Interfaces and in Pathological Media: Revisited from a Computational Perspective Open
We revisit the important issues of polymorphism, structure, and nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate, using first principles calculations based on dispersion-augmented density functional theory. For the lesser known monoclinic polymorph, …