November 5, 2008

442nd Brookhaven Lecture: Which Came First, the Eggshell or the Egg? – Answering Riddles About Biomineralization

Some of the hardest and sturdiest materials aren’t made in the factory; they're made inside the bodies of animals through a process called biomineralization. Look no further than your refrigerator for one of the simplest products of this natural construction company: a chicken's eggshell. Made out of just about a half-millimeter of layered calcium carbonate and protein, eggshells might be thought of as fragile, but they also provide vital protection for the chick forming inside.

Elaine DiMasi

Biomineralization, the process by which organisms form materials such as bones, mollusk shells, and other structures, has captured the attention of scientists for years. The cells in an animal's body have special ways of controlling the sizes and shapes of these mineral compounds and incorporating organic materials into the mix, making many materials that are stronger, harder, and more wear-resistant than rocks. Finding a way to mimic the properties of these sturdy and naturally made materials could lead to the medical engineering of replacement bone, teeth, and cartilage, as well as the development of new electronic and industrial materials.

To find out how scientists are investigating this important process, join physicist Elaine DiMasi of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) as she gives the 442nd Brookhaven Lecture, “Which Came First, the Eggshell or the Egg? – Answering Riddles About Biomineralization,” at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12.

With collaborators at Stony Brook University, DiMasi develops different biomineralization models, including a protein network that resembles real tissue. Then, the researchers use x-rays at the NSLS and a technique called shear modulation force microscopy to determine what biominerals look like and how they grow. In particular, DiMasi is interested in studying some of the earliest stages of biomineralization to find out what sets the process in motion.

DiMasi received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan in 1996 and, immediately after, joined Brookhaven’s Physics Department as a research associate in charge of developing instrumentation for liquid spectrometers at the NSLS and Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source, and studied the structures of surfaces and interfaces using x-ray scattering. She was promoted to assistant physicist in 1997, associate physicist in 1999, and to physicist in 2002. She joined the NSLS as a physicist in 2003, where she currently serves as the spokesperson and local contact for beamline X6B, and helps develop instrumentation for beamline X9.

All are invited to attend this free talk, which is open to the public and will be held in Berkner Hall. Visitors to the Lab ages 16 and older must carry a photo ID. To join the lecturer for dinner at a restaurant off site after the lecture, contact Angela Bowden at bowden@bnl.gov, extension 5169.