Department Articles
Living Systems, Engineered Crystals
Recently, the group of Prof. Benjamin Palmer published the outstanding article “Harnessing microalgae for the biosynthesis of molecular crystals” in Nature Biotechnology, one of the most prestigious journals in biotechnology and among the top-tier journals across the life sciences. The study shows that dinoflagellate can directly accumulate, crystallize and store nitrogen-rich small molecules inside intracellular compartments, forming molecular crystals that can later be used for growth. We demonstrate that this innate crystallization process can be manipulated to biosynthesize difficult-to-crystallize molecular materials with tailored morphologies and tunable optical properties, offering a sustainable route to functional photonic materials with the dinoflagellates acting as "cellular factories". Beyond materials synthesis, the findings also have ecological implications, suggesting a previously unrecognized mechanism for nitrogen storage and cycling in marine environments and for understanding processes such as coral symbiosis and harmful algal blooms. “This paper is at an interface of chemistry and bio-inspired materials: the authors transform microalgae to produce highly reflective crystalline materials. Many of these materials are difficult to crystallize in vitro (insolubility, high pH conditions required) but can potentially replace inorganic optical materials. In addition, their findings help in understanding general microalgal influences on ocean nitrogen cycling.” Editorial Team, Nature Biotechnology.
Recently, the group of Prof. Benjamin Palmer published the outstanding article “Harnessing microalgae for the biosynthesis of molecular crystals” in Nature Biotechnology, one of the most prestigious journals in biotechnology and among the top-tier journals across the life sciences.
The study shows that dinoflagellate can directly accumulate, crystallize and store nitrogen-rich small molecules inside intracellular compartments, forming molecular crystals that can later be used for growth. We demonstrate that this innate crystallization process can be manipulated to biosynthesize difficult-to-crystallize molecular materials with tailored morphologies and tunable optical properties, offering a sustainable route to functional photonic materials with the dinoflagellates acting as "cellular factories". Beyond materials synthesis, the findings also have ecological implications, suggesting a previously unrecognized mechanism for nitrogen storage and cycling in marine environments and for understanding processes such as coral symbiosis and harmful algal blooms.
“This paper is at an interface of chemistry and bio-inspired materials: the authors transform microalgae to produce highly reflective crystalline materials. Many of these materials are difficult to crystallize in vitro (insolubility, high pH conditions required) but can potentially replace inorganic optical materials. In addition, their findings help in understanding general microalgal influences on ocean nitrogen cycling.” Editorial Team, Nature Biotechnology.
