Fluorapatite-Organo-Nanocomposites: From Conodont Hard Tissues to Related Biomimetic Materials

• Applicant: Dr. Elena Sturm
• Subject Area: Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
• Term: from 2012 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 221153306

Living organisms produce inorganic-organic nanocomposite materials in form of biominerals, acting as functional materials and showing complex hierarchical structures on various length-scales. Chordates and especially vertebrates (including humans) represent the most highly advanced and complex group of organisms. Apatite-organic (protein) nanocomposites are the main components of bone and teeth hard tissues of vertebrates. The development of hierarchical nanocomposite structures of these hard tissues is highly complex and evolutionary optimized, which, however, is still only poorly understood. In this relation, the detailed investigation of hierarchical structures of apatite-based hard tissues of the feeding apparatus of one of the earliest vertebrates (namely conodonts) offers the chance to bring new insight into basic principles of apatite-based biomineralization processes of dental hard tissues even with respect to its evolutionary optimization via natural selection processes. Based on our previous experience with biomimetic synthesis and detailed structural characterization of fluorapatitegelatine nanocomposites (even with variable carbonate contents in the apatite component), we concentrate in the present proposal on the detailed structural characterization of different hard tissues of elements of the Polygnathus conodonts feeding apparatus obtained from Late Devonian deposits (mild fossilization conditions favoring the preservation of the organic components). Furthermore, the comparative investigation on composition and inner structure of conodont hard tissues and biomimetically grown (carbonated) fluorapatite-gelatine nanocomposites offers the chance to build the bridge between paleobiology (early development of vertebrates) and today’s experiments in the laboratory and, therefore, can lead to a deeper understanding of the general principles of very early scenarios in biomineralization.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants