Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41714416›Full record

ArticleNature biotechnology2026

Harnessing microalgae for the biosynthesis of molecular crystals.

Avital Wagner, Noam Margalit, Yahel Fishman, Shashanka S Indri, Alexander Upcher, Mark Baranov, Einat Nativ-Roth, Colan E Hughes, Benson M Kariuki, Johannes S Haataja and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Control Strategies in Guanine Biocrystallization.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Avital Wagner *Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel. avitalwa@post.bgu.ac.il.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1797-6774
Noam Margalit *Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
Yahel Fishman *Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-9677-8308
Shashanka S IndriDepartment of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
Alexander UpcherIlse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0910-6552
Mark BaranovIlse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5517-6674
Einat Nativ-RothIlse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel.
Colan E HughesSchool of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Benson M KariukiSchool of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8658-3897
Johannes S HaatajaDepartment of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, Aalto, Finland.
Lukas SchertelSeprify AG, Marly, Switzerland.
Jonathan R YatesDepartment of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1896-0101
Kenneth D M HarrisSchool of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-8598
Allen R PlaceInstitute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4692-2388
Peter MojzesInstitute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. peter.mojzes@matfyz.cuni.cz.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9952-6939
Benjamin A PalmerDepartment of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel. bpalmer@bgu.ac.il.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9684-9724

Funding

Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia) 347789EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council) 852948Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) RGP0037/2022Israel Science Foundation (ISF) 1565/22
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Highly reflective biogenic crystals such as guanine have potential as biocompatible alternatives to toxic inorganic optical materials. However, controlling the structural and optical properties of these sparingly soluble crystals in vitro is challenging. Engineered microbial cells have been used widely to generate high-value metabolites, but the biosynthesis of functional crystalline materials has not been achieved. Here we harness microalgae for the biosynthesis of difficult-to-crystallize molecular materials. We show that dinoflagellates can rapidly accumulate many nitrogen heterocycles from aqueous solutions into nitrogen-storage crystals, revealing a general mechanism for their metabolism of dissolved organic nitrogen. We manipulate this innate crystallization behavior to generate crystals with tailored morphologies and optical properties, including birefringent xanthine spherulites-a biogenic analog of TiO

Identifiers

PMID41714416

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.