The use of proteins in a biosilicate formation

• Grant number: 12/04735-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Alviclér Magalhães
• Grantee: Alviclér Magalhães
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The obtention of well organized inorganic materials have a greatest interest to build new materials with potential use in industrial production or in academic research. Some marine organisms had a extreme power to form inorganic materials contents Silicon atoms in a high complex organization profile. This project are focus on acquire more knowledge about biologic process involved on biosilicate formation. This will be performed trough the studying of the structure and proprieties of proteins used on polymerization and depolymerization of Silicon atoms in the marine organisms. This proteins will also be used as catalyst in some common synthetic reaction. The products obtained after the reaction with and without the catalyst will be fully characterized by conventional methods and also using of Solid State NMR. (AU)