Please join us for a talk with Rebecca Metzler, Colgate University: Composition and Structure of Oyster Cement Provides Unique Materials Properties
Rebecca Metzlera, Rebecca Rista, Erik M. Albertsb, Jonathan J. Wilkerb,c
aDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University, 13 Oak Dr., Hamilton, NY 13346 bDepartment of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907 cSchool of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 701 West Stadium Ave., West Lafayette, IN 4907
Eastern oysters, Crassostrea viriginicas, are bivalve mollusks that form extensive reefs that are vital for maintaining coastal habitats along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The reefs are formed by the oysters attaching to one another through the secretion of a complex composite adhesive that solidifies under water and holds the oyster in one location for life. Recent breakthrough work by Wilker et al. found the adhesive to be a mixture of organic and inorganic components, but was unable to determine the microstructure and distribution of the components.
In using a combination of x-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-hardness data, we were able to obtain an unprecedented view of the Crassostrea virginica adhesive’s composition, structure, and materials properties. The data show that the adhesive is non-uniform in both composition and structure, containing not only organics and calcium carbonate polymorphs, as previously observed, but also inclusions from the external environment. The variation in composition within the adhesive leads to varied hardness values. Based on the combination of data, we propose that this variation provides the material properties necessary for the adhesive to fulfill its function in the marine environment.
Rebecca Metzler, BS in Physics from Denison University, PhD in Physics from University of Wisconsin, started at Colgate in 2010.
Tues., Nov. 17, 2015 - CNS 206B @ 12:10 p.m.
Pizza and Refreshments will be available for $1. Please bring your own cup. Remember to Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the department assistant at jackerman@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20151112152443442