Pollen wall patterns as a model for biological self‐assembly

Abstract

We are still far from being able to predict organisms' shapes purely from their genetic codes. While it is imperative to identify which encoded macromolecules contribute to a phenotype, determining how macromolecules self-assemble independently of the genetic code may be equally crucial for understanding shape development. Pollen grains are typically single-celled microgametophytes that have decorated walls of various shapes and patterns. The accumulation of morphological data and a comprehensive understanding of the wall development makes this system ripe for mathematical and physical modeling. Therefore, pollen walls are an excellent system for identifying both the genetic products and the physical processes that result in a huge diversity of extracellular morphologies.In this piece, I highlight the current understanding of pollen wall biology relevant for quantification studies and enumerate the modellable aspects of pollen wall patterning and specific approaches that one may take to elucidate how pollen grains build their beautifully patterned walls.

Surface Morphology-Enhanced Delivery of Bioinspired Eco-Friendly Microcapsules

“…Here, we report the development of novel environment-friendly microcapsules composed of proteins and minerals to address the performance limitations of current capsule materials. The surface morphology of these mineralized capsules was designed to mimic the structures and functions of natural pollens (Figure ), which have evolved to transport the genetic material of plants to allow reproduction. , Despite numerous studies of pollen surfaces, − detailed mechanisms have not been determined to relate pollen surface structures to their deposition in submerged shear flows. As a result, recapitulating pollen surface features in synthetic capsules to enhance their deposition requires a new basic understanding of the structure–function relationship for the capsule surface morphology and adhesion properties.…”