Biocrystallization

Session Chairs: Jennifer Swift, Georgetown University and Laurie Gower, University Florida Gainsville

This symposium will cover various aspects of the solution-mediated crystallization of a range of materials including proteins, organics, and inorganic minerals. New characterization tools (e.g. scanning probe microscopies and high intensity synchrotron sources) and a variety of approaches from these different crystal growth communities are enabling the analysis of crystallization reactions at the nanoscopic scale. The crystalline self-assembly processes in biological systems are influenced by a broad range of factors including compartmentalization, phase transformation, and the presence of soluble process-directing agents and/or insoluble templates. Biocrystallization studies have traditionally been concerned with nucleation and growth, but recent evidence suggests that precursor phases may play a central role in biomineralization as well. The development of biomimetic in vitro models is of interest because they provide valuable information on crystallization mechanisms that can be correlated with ex vivo features found in biological systems. Biomimetic approaches are also useful for creating oriented patterned arrays of crystalline materials and for creating composite materials with unique materials properties.

Topics of interest include the following:

Crystallization mechanisms & kinetics

Organic/inorganic interfacial interactions

Advanced techniques for crystallization analysis

Amorphous precursors and phase transformations

Template-based crystallization

Crystal growth modulators

Compartmentalization of crystal growth

Biomimetic approaches to examining crystallization mechanisms

Invited Speakers:

Patricia Dove, Virginia Tech
John Evans, New York University
Mark Hollingsworth, Kansas State University
Rajendra Kumar , University of Florida
Michael McBride , Yale University
Rajesk Naik , Wright Patterson Air Force Base
George Nancollas, SUNY Buffalo
Janet Oldak , University of Southern California
Christine Orme , Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Jens Rieger, BASF
Mehmet Sarikaya, University of Washington
Ryan Sours, University of Washington
Daniel Talham, University of Florida
Candan Tamerler, Istanbul Technical University
Peter Vekilov, University of Houston
Elias Vlieg, University of Nijmegen
Dirk Volkmer , University of Ulm
Jeffrey Wesson, Medical College of Wisconsin