About
Our group of geochemists, chemists, mineralogists, biologists, and materials scientists is particularly interested in biomineralization— the processes by which marine and terrestrial animals control the timing and placement of crystalline and amorphous materials within the organic matrix to produce skeletons and other functional structures.
Our research is supported by the US Department of Energy.
We welcome creative and innovative students and postdocs to join our group. Be part of discoveries in biomineralization and how crystals nucleate and grow.
Research from our group is published in leading journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Science Magazine, Nature,
American Mineralogist, and Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.​
PATRICIA M. DOVE
UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR
C.P. MILES PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY (AFFILIATE)
DEPARTMENT OF MATERIAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (JOINT)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
VIRGINIA TECH
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Welcome to Virginia Tech.
VaTech is known for outstanding research and teaching in science and engineering. The Department of Geosciences is amongst these distinguished groups with an internationally recognized faculty focused on studies of earth history, processes, and materials.
Our earth materials research group is investigating how minerals grow and transform in natural and engineered surface environments that include oceans, sediments, and living tissues.
We are particularly interested in how the composition and structure of the organic matrix controls biological mineralization of CaCO3 and silica materials.
Recent Publications
Biomacromolecules | October 9, 2024
Christina A. McCutchin, Kevin J. Edgar, Chun-Long Chen, and Patricia M. Dove. Biomacromolecules, DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00674
Crystal Growth & Design Article ASAP | July 11, 2024
Brenna M. Knight, Ronnie Mondal, Nizhou Han, Nicholas F. Pietra, Brady A. Hall, Kevin J. Edgar, Valerie Vaissier Welborn, Louis A. Madsen, James J. De Yoreo, and Patricia M. Dove. Crystal Growth & Design Article ASAP, DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.4c00602
