The bizarre organic bizarre that makes these teeth more difficult than steel

At first glance, the chitons look like any other mollusc: round and shy creatures crawling through the on -board rocks. Flip one, however, and you will notice rows of rigorously pointed and polished teeth – the versatile and indestructible shots that researchers seek to reproduce for the next breakthrough in materials science.

A new study published on August 7 in Science presents a detailed investigation into what makes Chiton’s teeth so strong and sustainable. By analyzing the anatomy of the Chiton, the team found a remarkably precise and coherent flow of iron bonding proteins which led to dental structures “superior to the materials used in industrial cutting tools, the grinding media, dental implants, surgical implants and protective coatings”, the David Kisalilus paper co-author. Even more impressive is the fact that, unlike human manufacturing materials, the chitons produce their teeth at room temperature with precision on a nanometric scale, he added.

The new article presents the underlying mechanisms of this process, which, according to the researchers, could shed light on future advances in the manufacture of advanced materials. “We can learn a lot from these biological conceptions and processes,” said Kisalius, a scientist of materials at the University of California.

Kisalius collaborated with research partners in Japan to study the greatest types of chitons found in the northwest of the United States and the coasts of Hokkaido, Japan. They identified a protein, RTMP1, which is unique to chitons and allows the deposit of iron on the teeth of the molluscs. Scientists knew that it allowed the chitons to scratch tenacious bits of rock algae, but we did not know how and when these proteins interacted with Chiton teeth.

Using tools in the science of materials and molecular biology, the researchers built the protein route by the anatomy of the Chiton “from zero,” said Kisalilus. First of all, RTMP1 moves through nanoscopic tubes leading to each tooth, then binds to the compounds which control the architecture of magnetite, a type of iron oxide. At the same time, the protein releases iron stored in ferritin, another protein found in tissues near Chiton teeth. As a result, the new teeth turn into arranged rows of ultrahard structures which also repel after a certain amount of wear.

The results demonstrate a fantastic opportunity for humans to learn from nature. More in -depth investigations on Chiton teeth could shed light on “spatially and temporally controlled synthesis of other materials for a wide range of applications, such as batteries, catalysts of fuel cells and semiconductors”, said Kisailus, in addition to “new approaches in additive manufacturing – 3D print – respectful and lasting ”.

These are perhaps great expectations for a creature as visually modest as the Chiton. Again, these molluscs seem additional metal when returned (both figurative and figuratively). So who knows? Maybe Chiton Dental Steel will really be the next great thing in materials science.