Three-dimensional architecture and surface functionality of coccolith base plates

Coccolithophores are marine phytoplankton that are among the most prolific calcifiers widespread in Earth’s oceans, playing a crucial role in the carbon cycle and in the transport of organic matter to the deep sea. These organisms produce highly complex mineralized scales that are composed of hierarchical assemblies of nano-crystals of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite. Coccolith formation in vivo occurs within compartmentalized...