X-ray microcomputer tomography for the study of biomineralized endo- and exoskeletons of animals.

Biomineralization denotes the utilization of inorganic materials by living organisms, e.g. as exoskeleton for protection (shell), as endoskeleton for mechanical integrity (bone), as cutting tool (teeth or claw), or as mechanosensor (statolith or otolith). This area of research has gained increasing attention in the past decade for different reasons. First, many medical problems are associated with malfunctions of hard tissue, e.g. bone and teeth. Pathological calcifications (such as atherosclerosis and stone formation) are associated with the unwanted deposition of inorganic mineral within organs. The utilization of synthetic structures which can be used to substitute hard tissue such as bone is a part of the emerging area of biomaterials research. Second, biomineralized structures are often characterized by a delicate arrangement of inorganic crystals within an organic matrix which leads to exceptional mechanical properties. Examples are bone (both hard and elastic) and mollusk shells (enhanced mechanical properties, compared to the rather brittle mineral calcium carbonate). It is therefore of interest in modern materials science to synthetically mimic these structures to create new coatings, materials, or instruments for practical application. As such, biominerals are biodegradable, biocompatible, and ecofriendly, and they may therefore have strong advantages as long-term sustainable materials. They are also created under gentle conditions, i.e. near ambient temperature and pressure. Third, there is the curiosity-driven desire to understand how organisms are forming their delicate mineralized structures and why they are using particular minerals for different purposes.