A mollusk with teeth that can grind down rock may hold the key to making next generation abrasion-resistant materials and nanoscale materials for energy.
The mollusk, called a gumboot chiton, scrapes algae off ocean rocks using a specialized set of teeth made from the magnetic mineral magnetite. The teeth have the maximum hardness and stiffness of any known biomineral. Although magnetite is a geologic mineral commonly found in Earth’s crust, only a few animals are known to produce it, and little is known about how they make it.
A better understanding of the biomineralization process, combined with a thorough understanding of chiton tooth architecture and mechanics, could help scientists not only improve wear-resistant coatings and tooling, but also help grow nanoscale materials for energy and water-based applications.
Now, for the first time, a team led by Michiko Nemoto, an assistant professor of agriculture at Okayama University and David Kisailus, a professor of materials science and chemical engineering in UC Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, has discovered a piece of the genetic puzzle that allows the chiton to produce magnetite nanomaterials.
Source: Science Daily