MODERN RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN BIOMINERALOGY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30970/min.76.09Keywords:
biomineralogy, biomineralization, biogenic minerals, microbial biomineralization pathological mineralization, biomimetic materials, hydroxylapatite, crystallochemistry of biogenic phases, nanostructure of mineralsAbstract
Biomineralogy is currently one of the most dynamic interdisciplinary fields, integrating the methodological approaches of mineralogy, geochemistry, molecular biology, medicine, and materials science. Its relevance is driven by the rapid development of high-precision analytical methods and by the need for a deeper understanding of the fundamental processes governing the interaction between living systems and mineral matter throughout Earth’s geological history. This article summarizes current research directions in biomineralogy and analyses the main trends in the development of this field. Particular attention is given to biomineralization mechanisms as processes of inorganic solid-phase formation under the direct influence of biological factors. The essential differences between biologically induced mineralization (BIM), characteristic mainly of microbial systems, and biologically controlled mineralization (BCM), typical of higher organisms, are examined. The role of organic matrices, including specific proteins and polysaccharides, in nucleation, oriented crystal growth, and the spatial organization of crystals is analysed, as these factors ensure the formation of biogenic minerals with unique hierarchical architectures and specific physicochemical properties. The paper considers the principal natural model systems, including biogenic calcium carbonates (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite in the skeletons of invertebrates and coccolithophores), calcium phosphates (particularly hydroxyapatite in bone tissue), as well as biogenic opal in diatoms and magnetite in magnetotactic bacteria. Special attention is paid to microbial biomineralization as an important factor in the geochemical transformation of the environment, to pathological mineralization in the human body, and to biomimetic approaches to the design of new functional ma terials. Modern biomineralogy is of great importance for the reconstruction of palaeoecological conditions, the development of regenerative medicine, and the study of biogeochemical processes. The prospects for a transition toward multiscale investigations of matter at the micro-, nano-, and atomic levels using SEM, TEM, XRD, infrared spectroscopy, and synchrotron radiation are outlined. It is concluded that the integration of these approaches provides the foundation for understanding the regularities of mineral formation in living and non-living nature and for revealing the role of biota in global geochemical cycles.
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