Journal Title
Title of Journal: Silicon
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Publisher
Springer Netherlands
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Authors: Christopher F van der Walle
Publish Date: 2011/01/28
Volume: 4, Issue: 1, Pages: 23-31
Abstract
The generation of siliceous spicules by marine sponges is a highly coordinated effort between enzymes and scaffold proteins A common theme across the glassy sponges is the periodic arrangement of these proteins into a central axial filament If science is to mimic the biosilification process a goal which is highly sought after because it occurs at standard temperatures and pressures then artificial systems must take inspiration from nature There is currently enough data based on gene/protein expression profiles and high resolution microscopy to begin to dissect the biosilification process at least for marine sponges This review will not focus on the intricate biosilica shells of the diatoms or block copolymers inspired from silaffins In bringing multicomponent systems together in an orchestrated manner to serve as models of the axial filament and silica templating it is necessary to consider colloidal systems and interfacial adsorption in addition to protein engineering and characterization These areas will form the focus of this short review Successful models will not only be of benefit to our understanding of the nanoscale organization of the marine spicule but also promise the industrial engineering of novel synthetic devices exploiting the unique properties of biosilica
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