Volume 54 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry focuses upon the various processes by which
organisms direct the formation of minerals. Our framework of examining biominerals from the
viewpoints of major mineralization strategies distinguishes this volume from most previous
reviews. The review begins by introducing the reader to over-arching principles that are needed
to investigate biomineralization phenomena and shows the current state of knowledge regarding
the major approaches to mineralization that organisms have developed over the course of Earth
history. By exploring the complexities that underlie the synthesis of biogenic materials and
therefore the basis for how compositions and structures of biominerals are mediated (or not)
we believe this volume will be instrumental in propelling studies of biomineralization to a new
level of research questions that are grounded in an understanding of the underlying biological
phenomena.
