The technology for glass forming and shaping requires heat treatment at high temperatures of about 1000 degrees Celsius. So it has long been a mystery how it is that certain marine organisms are able to form glass architectures (called spicules) in cold water.
Now, a paper published recently in Science Advancesby Professor Emil Zolotoyabko, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and colleagues in Germany, headed by Dr. Igor Zlotnikov from TU Dresden, is helping to unravel that mystery. Using the most advanced X-ray methods, nano-tomography and focused X-ray diffraction, available at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble, France), the group uncovered the principles of spicule morphogenesis in certain kinds of marine sponges.
Marine sponges are one of the oldest multicellular organisms, with a fossil record that stretches back more than half a billion years. Demospongiae and Hexactinellida, two classes of sponges, synthesize mineralized silica-based skeletal elements, called glass spicules, which provide the animals with structural support and mechanical strength and help protect them from their environment. The spicules are microns to millimeters long and exhibit a diversity of highly regular three-dimensional branched morphologies that are an example of symmetry in biological systems (Fig. 1).
During spicule formation, the process of silica deposition is templated by an axial organic filament. The filament, up to 3 mm in diameter, is predominantly composed of enzymatically active proteins, silicatein and its derivatives, which catalyze bio-fabrication of silica, the process being genetically controlled by specialized cells, called sclerocytes.
According to the researchers, the most intriguing finding is that protein blocks in the axial filament are arranged in a crystal-like three-dimensional structure having hexagonal symmetry. The pores within this structure are filled by amorphous silica. This highly regular spatial arrangement of nano-metric amorphous blocks gives rise to very sharp spots in the X-ray diffraction pattern (Fig. 2), which bring comprehensive information on the spicule symmetry and the branching process.
For example, the researchers found that the main shaft of the spicule grows perpendicular to the base hexagon plane of the protein lattice. At some point, the branching of the shaft occurs, directed by pyramidal planes inclined by about 66o with respect to the hexagon plane. In that way, the tetrapod shape of the spicule (Fig. 1) is produced being guided by the symmetry properties of the protein crystal in the axial filament. Further splits (fork-like in Fig. 1) are also determined by particular planes in the hexagonal lattice.
“By using the crystalline axial filament, nature has mastered the fabrication of extremely complex glass structures at low temperatures that is far beyond the abilities of current human technology,” says Prof. Zolotoyabko. “Further understanding of how the organisms regulate the branching events in the filaments has the potential to be adopted in the production of technologically relevant nano-crystalline materials of complicated shapes for nano-electronics. Mimicking natural recipes in the lab will allow us to develop novel glass technology working at room temperature.”
Learn more: LESSONS FROM MARINE SPONGES COULD LEAD TO NOVEL GLASS TECHNOLOGY
The Latest on: Glass technology
[google_news title=”” keyword=”glass technology” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]- Solar Photovoltaic Glass Market to Reach $243.7 billion, Globally, by 2033 at 30.5% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon May 9, 2024 at 6:30 am
Surge in demand for residential applications and supportive government policies for using photovoltaic technology drive the growth of the global solar photovoltaic glass market.Wilmington, Delaware, ...
- C-Bond Systems’ Patriot Glass Solutions Dealer Network Grows to 50 Dealerson May 9, 2024 at 1:31 am
which includes C-Bond’s patented glass strengthening technology and multiple layers of security film on specified glass thickness to help stop bullets from penetrating glass. C-Bond BRS is certified ...
- What is Nano-Texture Glass on M4 iPad Pro and Should You Get It?on May 8, 2024 at 7:06 pm
A nano-texture glass coating on iPad Pro can significantly reduce glare without affecting the overall image quality.
- Glass Substrate Market Projected to Reach USD 4.2 Billion by 2034 with a 5.9% CAGRon May 8, 2024 at 2:16 am
The global glass substrate market size is poised for significant growth, reaching USD 2.3 billion in 2024. The demand for glass substrate is envisioned to witness a strong CAGR of 5.9% from 2024 to ...
- LONGi’s new bifacial module uses thicker glass to better withstand hail damageon May 7, 2024 at 12:04 pm
LONGi has launched a new solar panel designed for durability and reliability in hail and windstorms. The Hi-MO 5 Ice-Shield module is a dual-glass ...
- Nano-texture glass for M4 iPad Pro only available on 1TB and 2TB modelson May 7, 2024 at 10:00 am
Apple unveiled the brand new M4-powered iPad Pro, a major upgrade that comes with a brand new Ultra Retina XDR display. The new display uses OLED technology and comes with a first for the iPad: a nano ...
- OLED iPad Pro’s nano-texture glass upgrade costs a lot more than you thinkon May 7, 2024 at 9:11 am
Apple confirmed the rumors: the OLED iPad Pro will come with a nano-textured glass option, but it's limited to the most expensive models.
- What is nano-texture glass and do I need it?on May 7, 2024 at 8:53 am
Macworld On some Apple products, including the Apple Studio Display and M4 iPad Pro, a feature called nano-texture glass is available. This is something that was first introduced on the incredibly ...
- Gaskin: The AI glass is more than half fullon April 28, 2024 at 5:15 pm
As one who used to write on marketing innovation (using advances in science, technology, and engineering to obtain competitive advantage and/or create shareholder value), I have been blown away by ...
- PDLC Film E The Future of Smart Glass Technologyon April 27, 2024 at 7:02 am
In the rapidly changing world of architectural and automotive innovations, PDLC film leads smart glass technology. This ...
via Google News and Bing News