Organisms exercise a level of molecular control over the physico-chemical
properties of minerals that is unparalleled in synthetic processes. The
formation of these materials is controlled at organic-inorganic interfaces
by organized assemblies of biological macromolecules. This presentation is
aimed at revealing some of the fundamental mechanisms of the formation of
calcium carbonate in biological systems, including the regulation of the
orientation, shape, mechanical and optical properties of the crystals, as
well as at describing the application of these strategies to control
artificial crystallization.