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Ultrastructural Features of Bacterial Calcite Unveil Organics Occlusion and Clues on Biomineralization

delete2026-06-29
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PRE
AI
F
Franco Grosso Giordano *
M
Martín Purino
N
Nico Boon
N
Nele De Belie
C
Carlos Rodríguez‐Navarro *
DOI:10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01470delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation is a widespread natural phenomenon with numerous technical applications. Recent advances have shown that bacterial calcium carbonates (BCC) form nonclassically via amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) precursors in the presence of organics, but the role of organics in the formation and nanostructural features of BCCs is not fully understood. Here we show that two bacterial strains produce BCCs with diverse textural and structural features at the macroscale but similar at the micro and nanoscale. We show that bacterial organics guide precipitation of calcite, stabilizing ACC to produce nanogranular crystals and these organics are then trapped within the crystal, rather than being released as previously suggested. These organics are N-rich and create regions of low Z-contrast aligned perpendicular to the c-axis of the bacterial calcite crystal, yielding a “Swiss-cheese-like” mesostructure. Moreover, it is these occluded organics that lead to the distinctive biosignatures observed in BCC. Finally, we also observe crystalline 2D films, possibly proteins, templating the oriented crystallization of bacterial calcite. These ultrastructural features help to disclose how microbial CaCO3 biomineralization takes place leading to improved technical applications and may provide fingerprints for their identification in nature.
Keywords:
Calcite
Calcium
Crystal structure
Crystals
Inorganic carbon compounds

Journal

C
Crystal Growth & Design
IF:
0
Papers:
337
Citations:
0

Organization

G
ghent university
Scholars:
3.8K
Papers: 1.5K
Citations: 0
U
University of Granada
Scholars:
2.2W
Papers: 1.9W
Citations: 24
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