Profile
Photos
Comments
January 15, 2009--Like delicate strands of glass jewelry,
nano-sized ropes of silica twist into graceful crystalline shapes.
These and other curvy crystals are the first to be created in a lab
without biological agents driving their formation, according to a study
in this week's issue of the journal Science.
Until now scientists had thought rounded crystals, such as those found
in seashells and bones, could only be made by living organisms. In such
a case, fossilized curves in rocks from early Earth or even other
planets would seem to be sure signs of life.
But Juan Manuel Garcma-Ruiz, of the University of Granada in
Spain, and his colleagues found that some minerals can self-assemble
into structures that mimic those found in nature.
The finding throws a wrench in the search for alien life, but it could
help researchers better understand how animals create parts of their
bodies out of minerals.
• More Photos in the News
• Today's 15 Most Read Stories
• Free Email Newsletter: Focus on Photography
—Image courtesy Emilio Melero and Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz/Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalograficos (CSIC-Universidad de Granada)