The red coral...

The Red Coral, Corallium rubrum, an endemic and emblematic species of the Mediterranean Sea, lives hidden from view in underwater caves!

This animal has fascinated people around the world for centuries on account of its hard, red skeleton that can be shaped into intricate sculptures and jewelry. The coral produces its beautiful skeleton in a complex process of biomineralization about which little is known.

The work conducted at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM) by Denis Allemand and Marie-Christine Grillo in the 90s and more recently by the team of Physiology / Biochemistry, led by Dr. Sylvie Tambutté is shedding new light on this biological process.

Last year, winner of the 2010 Alain Vatrican Prize (category 21-26 years), CSM Ph.D. student Julien Debreuil, presented some of his research about characterising proteins in the Red Coral skeleton, to members of the RAMOGE Agreement.

On Tuesday March 15th 2011, part of the proceeds of this award allowed him to organize a conference held in the main conference room of the Ministry of the State of Monaco. During the meeting, two researchers, mineralogists and crystallographers of CINAM (Interdisciplinary Center of Nanoscience de Marseille) presented their work on the organization of crystals of the skeleton of the Red Coral. Drs Floquet Nicole and Daniel Vielzeuf have developed an innovative new concept of crystal organization: the mesocrystal. In this model, an assembly of 8 levels of crystalline modules allows the animal to produce its final structure by fitting crystals together in the manner of Russian dolls.

After this presentation, fruitful discussions between researchers from different disciplines have enabled the establishment of a collaboration that will elucidate some of the great enigmas of biomineralization.