E

Formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) by living organisms has been regarded as a process that releases carbon dioxide (CO2). On the other hand, recent studies have shown that many organisms actively control internal pH and related chemical conditions during calcification.These results suggest that biological calcification may differ from an inorganic reaction and provide an opportunity to develop and reconsider this process beyond chemical-equilibrium theory, as a multi-step and multi-layered phenomenon.
This session will discuss the interdisciplinary framework of Carbonate Biobiology, which connects materials science, life science, ecological science and environmental science. The purpose is to understand biogenic carbonate formation across multiple hierarchical levels, from atoms and molecules to cells and the global environment.
Main topics include the molecular and nanoscale mechanisms of CaCO3 nucleation and crystal control by organic molecules, proton and elemental dynamics in calcifying microenvironments, isotope and trace-element incorporation, CO2 flux and modeling approaches, and applications to paleoenvironmental reconstruction and carbon fixation technologies, and reports on related technological developments are also welcome. Researchers from various fields such as geoscience, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematical science and computational science are invited to participate and exchange ideas through interdisciplinary discussion on how biogenic carbonate formation contributes to the carbon cycle at the Earth surface.