Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
University of Sheffield : B - Materials Science and Engineering
Structural Control of Crystal Nuclei by an Eggshell Protein
This reports the first atomic-scale simulations of mineral crystallization under protein control – the most advanced biomineralisation simulations yet reported. We showed that the chicken eggshell protein ovocleidin-17 can facilitate the transition from an amorphous particle to calcite crystal, and then desorb, acting as an eggshell catalyst. This publication provides atomic level understanding of materials synthesis in biological environments and with molecular additives. It was a major news story within the worldwide media including CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/14/england.chicken.egg.riddle/index.html?iref=allsearch), ABC, BBC and Sky and was instrumental in winning an EPSRC programme grant (EP/I001514/1) for £5.3M.