vi
Both non-mineralized and biomineral-containing structures have been described
and discussed. Thus, bone, teeth, otoconia and otoliths, egg shells, biomagnetite,
and silica-based minerals are analyzed as biominerals. A separate chapter is dedicated to pathological biomineralization. Furthermore, in this book, I take the liberty
to introduce the term “Biohalite” for the biomineralized excretion produced by the
salt glands of marine fi sh, reptiles, and birds. Further chapters are dedicated to
material design principles, tissue engineering, material engineering, and robotics.
Marine structural proteins are discussed from the biomedical point of view.
Altogether, the recent book consist of four parts: 14 chapters, including Introduction,
addendums, an epilogue, and addendums to each chapter including more than 2,000
references. Many of the photos are shown here for the fi rst time. I have also paid much
attention to the historic factors, as it is my opinion that the names of the discoverers of
unique biological structures should not be forgotten. As this is highly interdisciplinary
research, fully satisfying the curiosity of expert readers is diffi cult to do in this rather
short survey of a very broad fi eld. However, I hope it will provoke thought and inspire
further work in both applied and basic research areas.
There are so many institutions and individuals to whom I am indebted for the gift
or loan of material for study that to mention them all would add pages to this monograph. It may be suffi cient to say that without their cooperation, this work could
hardly have been attempted. First of all, I am very grateful to Prof. Kurt Biedenkopf
and his wife Mrs. Ingrid Biedenkopf as well as to the German Research Foundation
(DFG, Project EH 394/3-1) for fi nancial support. I also thank Prof. Catherine Skinner,
Prof. Edmund Bäeuerlein, Prof. Victor Smetacek, Prof. Dan Morse, Prof. Peter
Fratzl, Prof. Matthias Epple, Prof. George Mayer, Prof. Christine Ortiz, Prof. Marcus
Buehler, Prof. Andrew Knoll, Prof. Adam Summers, Prof. Stanislav N. Gorb, Prof.
Arthur Veis, Prof. Gert Wörheide, Prof. Alexander Ereskovsky, Prof. Hartmut Worch,
and Prof. Dirk-Carl Meyer for their support and permanent interest in my research.
Especially I would like to thank Prof. Bernd Meyer and Dr. Andreas Handschuh for
the excellent scientifi c atmosphere at TU Bergakademie Freiberg where I enjoyed the
time to prepare this work. I am grateful to Prof. Joseph L. Kirschvink, Dr. Martin
T. Nweeia, and Dr. Regina Campbell-Malone for their helpful discussions of some
chapters, and to Dr. Vasilii V. Bazhenov, Marcin Wysokowski, Dr. Andrey
Bublichenko, Dr. Yuri Yakovlev, Alexey Rusakov, and Andre Ehrlich for their technical assistance. To Dr. Allison L. Stelling, I am thankful for taking excellent care of
manuscripts and proofs. To my parents, my wife, and my children, I am under deep
obligation for their patience and support during the years.
Freiberg, Germany
Hermann Ehrlich
Preface
Both non-mineralized and biomineral-containing structures have been described
and discussed. Thus, bone, teeth, otoconia and otoliths, egg shells, biomagnetite,
and silica-based minerals are analyzed as biominerals. A separate chapter is dedicated to pathological biomineralization. Furthermore, in this book, I take the liberty
to introduce the term “Biohalite” for the biomineralized excretion produced by the
salt glands of marine fi sh, reptiles, and birds. Further chapters are dedicated to
material design principles, tissue engineering, material engineering, and robotics.
Marine structural proteins are discussed from the biomedical point of view.
Altogether, the recent book consist of four parts: 14 chapters, including Introduction,
addendums, an epilogue, and addendums to each chapter including more than 2,000
references. Many of the photos are shown here for the fi rst time. I have also paid much
attention to the historic factors, as it is my opinion that the names of the discoverers of
unique biological structures should not be forgotten. As this is highly interdisciplinary
research, fully satisfying the curiosity of expert readers is diffi cult to do in this rather
short survey of a very broad fi eld. However, I hope it will provoke thought and inspire
further work in both applied and basic research areas.
There are so many institutions and individuals to whom I am indebted for the gift
or loan of material for study that to mention them all would add pages to this monograph. It may be suffi cient to say that without their cooperation, this work could
hardly have been attempted. First of all, I am very grateful to Prof. Kurt Biedenkopf
and his wife Mrs. Ingrid Biedenkopf as well as to the German Research Foundation
(DFG, Project EH 394/3-1) for fi nancial support. I also thank Prof. Catherine Skinner,
Prof. Edmund Bäeuerlein, Prof. Victor Smetacek, Prof. Dan Morse, Prof. Peter
Fratzl, Prof. Matthias Epple, Prof. George Mayer, Prof. Christine Ortiz, Prof. Marcus
Buehler, Prof. Andrew Knoll, Prof. Adam Summers, Prof. Stanislav N. Gorb, Prof.
Arthur Veis, Prof. Gert Wörheide, Prof. Alexander Ereskovsky, Prof. Hartmut Worch,
and Prof. Dirk-Carl Meyer for their support and permanent interest in my research.
Especially I would like to thank Prof. Bernd Meyer and Dr. Andreas Handschuh for
the excellent scientifi c atmosphere at TU Bergakademie Freiberg where I enjoyed the
time to prepare this work. I am grateful to Prof. Joseph L. Kirschvink, Dr. Martin
T. Nweeia, and Dr. Regina Campbell-Malone for their helpful discussions of some
chapters, and to Dr. Vasilii V. Bazhenov, Marcin Wysokowski, Dr. Andrey
Bublichenko, Dr. Yuri Yakovlev, Alexey Rusakov, and Andre Ehrlich for their technical assistance. To Dr. Allison L. Stelling, I am thankful for taking excellent care of
manuscripts and proofs. To my parents, my wife, and my children, I am under deep
obligation for their patience and support during the years.
Freiberg, Germany
Hermann Ehrlich
Preface