By using state-of-the-art high-resolution transmission
electron microscopy to examine crystals found in and on the bodies of small
marine organisms called sea squirts, a team of scientists led by the
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has resolved the nearly 100 year-old
mystery about the crystal structure of the mineral called vaterite. The
findings are published in the current issue (April 26, 2013) of SCIENCE.
Vaterite is a form of calcium carbonate – one of nature’s
most abundant minerals. It can be found
in gallstones and in certain geological structures. It is also a component of
cement, where its quick transformation into other more stable forms of calcium
carbonate when exposed to water, helps make cement hard and water resistant.