- Goldschmidt2021 (Lyon, France)
Session 10a: “(Bio)mineralisation: Geochemical, industrial, and engineering perspectives” (link)
Conveners: Eric van Hullebusch (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France), Pieter Bots (University of Strathclyde, UK), Lucian Staicu (University of Warsaw, Poland) etc.
Keynotes: Merja Lusa (University of Helsinki, Finland), Karim Benzerara (Sorbonne Université, France)
“Biomineralization is the process by which living organisms produce minerals. Biominerals incorporate a large number of metal ions and organic/inorganic anions, together with a biological matrix that confers them novel properties compared to their abiotic mineral counterparts. From a fundamental perspective, the formation of biominerals in microbes is relevant for understanding the chemistry and the biogeochemical processes of the early Earth system. Such (bio)mineralisation processes are also essential to many engineering strategies to deal with global challenges and legacies of human activity (e.g. geodisposal of radioactive wastes, CCS, deep sea mining, bioremediation and resource reclamation from waste streams). Furthermore, biominerals are also important in the management of the industrial infrastructure (e.g. water supply systems, oil pipelines), where their formation comes with heavy financial and safety costs. In many of such cases these (bio)mineralisation processes occur under extreme environments (such as pH, T, P, salinity, radioactivity) significantly impacting on their efficacy. This session will highlight recent scientific advances in the use of biogeochemistry, microscopy, and mineralogy (including novel sampling, experimental, analytical, modelling and thermodynamic strategies and capabilities) to elucidate the synthesis, formation and novel functions of (bio)minerals (e.g. by bacteria or fungi), in ambient and extreme environments (representative of engineering strategies and industrial setting). Finally, we will provide a platform for inter- and multi-disciplinary research approaches (e.g. geology, chemistry, physics and biology).”Biomineralization is the process by which living organisms produce minerals. Biominerals incorporate a large number of metal ions and organic/inorganic anions, together with a biological matrix that confers them novel properties compared to their abiotic mineral counterparts. From a fundamental perspective, the formation of biominerals in microbes is relevant for understanding the chemistry and the biogeochemical processes of the early Earth system. Such (bio)mineralisation processes are also essential to many engineering strategies to deal with global challenges and legacies of human activity (e.g. geodisposal of radioactive wastes, CCS, deep sea mining, bioremediation and resource reclamation from waste streams). Furthermore, biominerals are also important in the management of the industrial infrastructure (e.g. water supply systems, oil pipelines), where their formation comes with heavy financial and safety costs. In many of such cases these (bio)mineralisation processes occur under extreme environments (such as pH, T, P, salinity, radioactivity) significantly impacting on their efficacy. This session will highlight recent scientific advances in the use of biogeochemistry, microscopy, and mineralogy (including novel sampling, experimental, analytical, modelling and thermodynamic strategies and capabilities) to elucidate the synthesis, formation and novel functions of (bio)minerals (e.g. by bacteria or fungi), in ambient and extreme environments (representative of engineering strategies and industrial setting). Finally, we will provide a platform for inter- and multi-disciplinary research approaches (e.g. geology, chemistry, physics and biology).” (link)
- Goldschmidt2019 (Barcelona, Spain)
Ssession 04g: “Medical mineralogy and biogeochemistry of contaminants: from atomic- to meso-scale processes” (link)
Conveners: Elena Belluso (University of Torino, Italy), Ruggero Vigliaturo (University of Pennsylvania, USA), Mohamed Merroun (University of Granada, Spain), Lucian Staicu (University of Warsaw, Poland), Jessica Choi (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Keynotes: Mihály Pósfai (University of Pannonia, Hungary), Jonathan Lloyd (University of Manchester, UK)
“Metals, minerals and the biosphere are linked in a complex interplay: the inorganic components of a system may be beneficial or toxic to both the microbial life and the human body. The study of these interactions through medical mineralogy and biogeochemistry thus represent a broad interdisciplinary field positioned between geology, microbiology, mineralogy, biogeochemistry, nanotechnology, and medicine. In nature and industrial settings, microbial diversity and activity can affect the fate of toxic metals/minerals through processes such as respiratory redox reactions and biomineralization. On the other end, the human body can also be affected by these interactions, but can also transform up taken minerals and metals in new phases, starting from the atomic scale, up to the mesoscale. The study of these transformations and interactions between the biosphere and the inorganic component may lead to the understanding of toxicity mechanism, as well as to the possibility to engineering tailored bioremediation procedure to be applied on field or in industrial settings. The focus of this session is to explore recent advances in the use of biogeochemistry, medical mineralogy, microscopy, and spectroscopy to study bioreactions involving metals/minerals and their application(s). Particular attention will be dedicated (but not limited) to contributions investigating the synthesis, transformation and function of minerals in the environment, in living organisms, and the minerals with an active role in human disease development” (link)
Geomicrobiology 