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Bacteria meet materials! From biomineralization to carbonate-based living materials
Natural calcium carbonate is produced through a complex process determined by chemical, biological, physical, and anthropological factors whereas synthetic calcium carbonate is obtained by easy chemical protocols. Although the synthetic approach seems attractive due to the short synthesis time and control over the mineral microstructure, the reactants and products of this reaction can be toxic and thus being an unsustainable process. On the other hand, a bioinspired method based on mineralization induced by soil bacteria emerges as a sustainable alternative to synthesize calcium carbonate in a controlled manner. Biomineralization is a natural process that harnesses the biological and biochemical mechanisms of microorganisms to induce the precipitation of minerals intra or extracellularly. The polymorphs of bacterial-induced calcium carbonate are dictated by the chemical composition of the medium used for the culture of mineralizing bacteria as previously described. Despite biomineralization is already being exploited in the development of applications such as self-healing concrete, bio bricks, bio cement, among others, it remains still challenging to predict the resulting polymorph and control over the structural properties of the calcium carbonate based on the biological feature of the system.
Keywords: mineralizing bacteria, microfluidics, molecular biology, biochemical assay, and material characterization.
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The objective of this project is to understand the relationship between the structural and mechanical properties of biogenic calcium carbonate with the phenotypic and genotypic properties of mineralizing bacteria. The outcomes of this project will set the bases for the development of carbonate-based living materials.
The objective of this project is to understand the relationship between the structural and mechanical properties of biogenic calcium carbonate with the phenotypic and genotypic properties of mineralizing bacteria. The outcomes of this project will set the bases for the development of carbonate-based living materials.
If you are interested in this project, please contact Nadia Enrriquez (nadia.enrriquez@mat.ethz.ch) for more information. We are open to discuss about the topic with you according to your interests (BSc thesis, MSc project, MSc thesis).
If you are interested in this project, please contact Nadia Enrriquez (nadia.enrriquez@mat.ethz.ch) for more information. We are open to discuss about the topic with you according to your interests (BSc thesis, MSc project, MSc thesis).