Issue 1, 2016

Contemplating a role for titanium in organisms

Abstract

Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and some organisms sequester it avidly, though no essential biological role has yet been recognized. This Minireview addresses how the properties of titanium, especially in an oxic aqueous environment, might make a biological role difficult to recognize. It further considers how new -omic technologies might overcome the limitations of the past and help to reveal a specific role for this metal. While studies with well established model organisms have their rightful place, organisms that are known avid binders or sequesterers of titanium should be promising places to investigate a biological role.

Graphical abstract: Contemplating a role for titanium in organisms

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
31 Aug 2015
Accepted
04 Nov 2015
First published
12 Nov 2015

Metallomics, 2016,8, 9-16

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