Improvement of Biological Organisms Using Functional Material Shells

Abstract

Biomineralization brings inorganic materials into biological organisms and it plays an important role in natural evolution. Inspired by biomineralized eggs and diatoms with protective shell structures, scientists have artificially endowed organisms with functional materials. The resulting organism–material hybrids become more robust and even evolve new functions. This feature article reviews recent achievements of organism improvements by various material shells and related applications in cell protection, storage, thermal stability, biological stealth, photosynthesis and biocatalysis, etc. Different from the previous understanding of biomineralization, the regulation effects of materials on organism functions are highlighted in these biomineralization‐inspired biological improvements, which present an artificial evolution strategy by using material techniques. We suggest that rationally designed organism–materials with optimized functions can shed light on solving global problems such as energy crisis and environmental pollution, as well as on improving medical treatment and intricate material designing. More generally, the studies of material‐based organism improvement can combine biological and material sciences together for a closer integration.

Nano‐Biohybrids: In Vivo Synthesis of Metal–Organic Frameworks inside Living Plants

“…growing or attaching the functional material onto cells or organisms, [5,6] modifying or altering the cell or organism to take up the functional materials, or by synthesizing the material inside of the living system. [4,[7][8][9][10][11] Plants are ideal candidates for bioaugmentation and nanobionics, due to their vascular network and use of passive forces for transporting fluids and molecules or particles dispersed in fluids.…”

“…The integration of functional materials into and around living systems represents an emerging branch of augmentation engineering with potential applications in sensing, electronics, catalysis, and robotics . This is generally accomplished by growing or attaching the functional material onto cells or organisms, modifying or altering the cell or organism to take up the functional materials, or by synthesizing the material inside of the living system . Plants are ideal candidates for bioaugmentation and nanobionics, due to their vascular network and use of passive forces for transporting fluids and molecules or particles dispersed in fluids .…”

Amorphous Phase Mediated Crystallization: Fundamentals of Biomineralization

“…So, reducing the interfacial energy or increasing the supersaturation would greatly promote the nucleation rate, which has been widely corroborated in many crystallization systems. With respect to biomineralization systems, the biomatrix and NMPs are believed to facilitate crystal nucleation by reducing the interfacial energy of nucleation [182,183] or increasing the local supersaturation by charge attractions [70,[184][185][186][187].…”

Biomineralization State of Viruses and Their Biological Potential

“…It is speculated that spontaneous mineralization through virus–metal interactions enables the virus to obtain a mineral exterior, which may possibly involve the survival tactics of virus to resist the environment in which they exist. Virus surface proteins, as nucleation sites to selectively adsorb ions or mineral precursors, can induce the further deposition or reduction of mineral phases in a nanometer size range . Currently, the artificial biomineralization can deposit various mineral phases on a virus surface, conferring the production of virus–mineral hybrids with versatile functions, such as battery electrodes, devices, sensors, or catalysts .…”

“…Virus surface proteins, as nucleations ites to selectively adsorbi ons or mineral precursors, can induce the furtherdeposition or reduction of mineral phases in ananometer size range. [9] Currently,t he artificial biomineralization can deposit variousm ineral phaseso navirus surface,c onferring the production of virus-mineral hybrids with versatile functions, such as battery electrodes, devices, sensors, or catalysts. [10] Distinct from the previous reviews that summarize the aspect of materials performances, [11] we emphasize those biological prospects of mineralized-state viruses for the purpose of understanding the mineralization processes of viruses and their biological potentials, including physiochemical or biological characters, protection,v irus-environment interaction, and virus-host recognition.…”