The study of mineral formation in biological systems, biomineralisation, provides inspiration for novel approaches to the synthesis of new materials. Biomineralisation relies on extensive organic-inorganic interactions to induce and control the synthesis of inorganic solids. Living systems exploit these interactions and utilise organised organic scaffolds to direct the precise patterning of inorganic materials over a wide range of length scales. Fundamental studies of biomineral and model systems have revealed some of the key interactions which take place at the organic-inorganic interface. This has led to extensive use of the principles at work in biomineralisation for the creation of novel materials. A biomimetic approach to materials synthesis affords control over the size, morphology and polymorph of the mineral under mild synthetic conditions.In this review, we present examples of organic-inorganic systems of different kinds, employed for the synthesis of inorganic structures with a controlled size and morphology, such as individual semiconductor and metal nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution, ordered assemblies of the nanoparticles, and materials possessing complex architectures resembling biominerals. Different synthetic strategies employing organic substances of various kinds to control crystal nucleation and growth and/or particle assembly into structures organised at a larger scale are reviewed. Topics covered include synthesis of solid nanoparticles in micelles, vesicles, protein shells, organisation of nanocrystals using biomolecular recognition, synthesis of nanoparticle arrays using ordered organic templates.