Unicellular algae in the oceans are able to produce minerals in shapes and compositions unequaled by any manmade material. The biological mineralization process is intracellular and proceeds under strict cellular control, giving rise to spectacular morphologies of the mineral.
We study mineralization processes in unicellular algae that form cell wall made of nano-patterned silica, or crystalline calcium carbonate scales.
Our main tool is state-of-the-art electron microscopy that allow to follow these intracellular processes in 3D and with nanometer scale resolution.