title: Formation and characteristics of biomimetic mineralo-organic particles in natural surface water.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles exist in environmental water but the formation, characteristics and fate of such particles remain incompletely understood. We show here that surface water obtained from various sources (ocean, hot springs, and soil) produces mineralo-organic particles that gradually increase in size and number during incubation. Seawater produces mineralo-organic particles following several cycles of filtration and incubation, indicating that this water possesses high particle-seeding potential. Electron microscopy observations reveal round, bacteria-like mineral particles with diameters of 20 to 800 nm, which may coalesce and aggregate to form mineralized biofilm-like structures. Chemical analysis of the particles shows the presence of a wide range of chemical elements that form mixed mineral phases dominated by calcium and iron sulfates, silicon and aluminum oxides, sodium carbonate, and iron sulfide. Proteomic analysis indicates that the particles bind to proteins of bacterial, plant and animal origins. When observed under dark-field microscopy, mineral particles derived from soil-water show biomimetic morphologies, including large, round structures similar to cells undergoing division. These findings have important implications not only for the recognition of biosignatures and fossils of small microorganisms in the environment but also for the geochemical cycling of elements, ions and organic matter in surface water.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Research Center of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yeu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for General Education, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tsui-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chien-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Center for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Young