Biomimetic and Bio-enabled Mineralization

One of the key aspects of biomineralization is the participation of biomacromolecules, and proteins are among the major players influencing nucleation, growth and crystal morphologies. Building upon combinatorial biology protocols, we identified calcium phosphate binding peptides including hydroxyapatite, investigated their binding and effect on mineralization kinetics as investigated novel routes for controlling calcium phosphate mineral formation. Adapting bioinformatics and computational methods, we improved their effect on remineralization. We continue to study the nucleation and morphological characteristics of the minerals that are mediated using these peptides and apply them on variety of restorative materials.