1st Edition
by Elaine DiMasi (Editor), Laurie B. Gower (Editor)
What does it mean to be at the
forefront of a characterization technique? Novel implementation and
research, finding new ways to visualize composites, and new techniques
all play a role. Yet with the myriad of advances in the field, keeping
up with new and advanced techniques, often from many different areas,
has become a challenge. Biomineralization Sourcebook: Characterization of Biominerals and Biomimetic Materials
emphasizes the interplay between multiple techniques at their current
frontiers and explores how such studies may be carried out.
The
book addresses atomic and molecular structure: how it is described,
detected, and assessed for importance. It then highlights additional
measurements especially well-suited to looking at two- and
three-dimensional systems with heterogeneous, if not hierarchical,
structure. These systems enable particular aspects of biominerals and
biomimetic models to be scrutinized. The text presents state-of-the-art
methods to assess properties of the composite, and represents current
approaches and aspirations to measuring entire biological working
structures while retaining as much fine-grained biophysical information
as possible. In all these chapters, authors showcase discoveries from
their own programs.
Along the way, the book takes you on a tour
from microscopy's eighteenth century roots, to the recent literature and
diverse research programs of the contributing investigators, to the
multi-million dollar National Laboratory facilities that all play their
roles to illuminate the ever-fascinating biominerals. A snapshot of the
state of the art in a spectrum of experimental techniques applied to a
common interdisciplinary goal, where the ability to use the more
advanced techniques often requires funding for collaboration and travel,
the book will deepen the appreciation for the massive interdisciplinary
effort underway, educate researchers across the field, and motivate new
collaborations.
