Scientists get a handle on crystal shape
In a discovery that could have implications ranging from the design of new materials to an understanding of the origin of life, researchers have discovered how the microscopic orientation of amino acid molecules can force a crystal to take on either a left- or right-handed form.
Researchers have known for years that organic molecules can glom onto a growing crystal’s facets and influence the crystal’s shape. Until now, however, no one knew quite how. The new results, reported in the June 14 Nature, show how amino acids work at the molecular level to accomplish this feat.