INTELLECTUAL MERIT: Biomineralization is the formation of inorganic materials under control of a living organism. Among the most prominent examples of biomineralization are the diatoms, which are unicellular eukaryotic microalgae producing intricately structured cell walls made of amorphous SiO2 (silica). The complex 3D-nanopatterned silica shapes of diatoms are formed under genetic control, thus being spectacular examples for the versatility and precision of biological morphogenesis, which by far exceeds the capabilities of present day materials engineering. Understanding the molecular mechanism of silica biomineralization in diatoms will therefore not only provide fundamental insight into the mechanism of biological morphogenesis, but also devise novel, biotechnological routes for the synthesis of silica-based 3D materials with designed nanoscopic features and functionalities. By taking advantage of the wealth of data provided by two diatom genome sequences and associated functional genomics studies, the research in this project aims to identify a large set of new biomineralization proteins involved in silica formation. The proteins will be characterized regarding their intracellular locations, chemical structures, self-assembly properties, and influence on silica formation. This research will for the first time experimentally address the molecular mechanism of silicon deposition vesicle (SDV) biogenesis by biochemical isolation and characterization of receptor proteins that mediate the intracellular transport of biomineralization proteins to the SDV. This will lay the foundation for analyzing the control of protein delivery to the SDV and its effect on silica morphogenesis, and thus represents a first attempt towards investigating the complex dynamics of silica biomineralization.
BROADER IMPACTS: The unique integration of Biology, Chemistry and Materials Science in this research project will be utilized as a central theme to enhance interdisciplinary education and research experience at two critical crossroads of student education: the high school to college interface and the college to graduate school interface. At the high school to college interface students from underrepresented groups are specifically targeted through collaboration with a local ?Early College Academy? (DECA). It is aimed to enhance interest of DECA students in science by annual summer workshops on ?Molecular Biology? that allows them to discover the interdisciplinary and playful nature of science. Sustainability of this activity is ensured by internships for teachers and high school students, and by the establishment of a web-based curriculum for the workshop. At the college to graduate school interface, education in the Biological Sciences of students from Chemistry and Engineering will be advanced by developing a novel interdisciplinary seminar and laboratory course that highlights the cross-connections between these disciplines.
