Recent trends in functional foods and supplements have demonstrated that bioactive
molecules play a major therapeutic role in human disease. Nutritionists and biomedical and …

Despite the wide range of functional roles performed by marine sponges they are still poorly
represented in many research, monitoring and conservation programmes. The aim of this …

Background Opal phytoliths (microscopic silica bodies produced in and between the cells of
many plants) are a very resilient, often preserved type of plant microfossil. With the …

The origin of many of the defining features of animal body plans, such as symmetry, nervous
system, and the mesoderm, remains shrouded in mystery because of major uncertainty …

Marine sponges are able to process a variety of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P),
and silicon (Si) dissolved compounds, in addition to the particulate C, N, and P obtained …

Biomineralized structures and tissues are composites, containing a biologically produced
organic matrix and nano-or microscale amorphous or crystalline minerals. Two main …

Of the intriguing topics that are receiving renewed attention nowadays, the study of the
“triangle” biomineralization/demineralization/remineralization is among the most fascinating …

Diatoms, shells, bones and teeth are exquisite examples of well-defined structures,
arranged from nanometre to macroscopic length scale, produced by natural …

This article considers the role played by a core set of" dynamical patterning modules"(DPMs)
in the origination, development and evolution of complex organisms. These consist of the …

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse taxon of benthic aquatic animals of great
ecological, commercial, and biopharmaceutical importance. They are arguably the earliest …