Carbonate biogenesis is employed by a wide range of phyla to produce mineral structures that fulfil specific functions and possess a wide range of ultrastructural motifs.
Calcium carbonate is polymorphic with calcite and aragonite being the most common natural forms.
The main aim of this project is to carry out a thorough comparison of both the inorganic and organic components of key calcium carbonate systems, to understand the organic-inorganic interactions involved and to identify those trace elements and proteins that participate in the formation of calcium carbonate. The four systems are the calcite eggshell of the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus, the calcite shell of the brachiopod Terebratulina retusa , the semi-nacreous calcite shell of the brachiopod Neocrania anomala and the shell of the mussel, Mytilus edulis that contains both calcite and nacreous aragonite. Scanning electron microscopy will be used to identify ultrastructural motifs and Electron microprobe analyses will identify and quantify trace elements and produce elemental maps of their distribution. Protein composition will de determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These analytical facilities and expertise are all available within the Division of Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow.