Programme

AIM & SCOPE

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This micro-symposium aims to bring together researchers studying crystallisation and mineralisation in biological, bio-inspired and cementitious systems. The central theme is how mineral organisation emerges across hierarchical length scales, from atomic structure and local chemistry to mesoscale texture, morphology and macroscopic function. The scope includes biomineralising tissues and organisms, but also cement, low-carbon cement alternatives, biomorphs and hierarchically organised ceramics. These systems share fundamental questions around nucleation, growth, transformation and structure formation, and are increasingly studied at ESRF through multimodal combinations of diffraction, spectroscopy and imaging. Recent advances in 2D, 3D, in situ and in vivo X-ray methods now allow evolving mineral systems to be followed directly. The symposium will therefore highlight how ESRF techniques can reveal the dynamic formation processes underlying biological, bio-inspired and sustainable mineral materials.