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Biography My central research focus is on biominerals – such as shells, bones and corals.
Living systems exert exquisite control on biomineral formation producing functional structures that are light and strong. There is, therefore, a drive to mimic and improve on biology’s approach and this requires that we understand the biological control of biomineralisation. Living systems control the structure, mineral type and polymorph of biominerals. In biology, minerals tend to be composites of vast numbers of nanogranules, with associated organic components, that are assembled to form structures that are effectively single crystals.
Marine biominerals contain a rich climate record that can be accessed via proxies of seawater temperature such as Mg:Ca and stable oxygen isotope composition (δ180). Such approaches also necessitate determination of biological and environmental influence on climate proxies.
Research interests Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) - Extracting crucial crystallographic data from biominerals at high spatial resolution
Microfluidics & Crystal Growth- Characterising rôle and function of biomineral proteins using crystal growth in microfluidics in order to understand their mode of action in control of mineral polymorph, crystal habit and ultrastructure
Material properties - Using nanoindentation to determine the material properties of biominerals and to identify relationships between material properties and mineral polymorph, crystallography, ultrastructure and organic content
Climate proxies - Identifying the influence of biology and environment on the seawater temperature proxies such as Mg:Ca ratios and δ180
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) – Image, chemistry and crystallography of carbonate and phosphatic biominerals
Synchrotron analyses – tomography of biomineral structures and chemistry of climate proxies
Current research Biomineralisation: protein and mineral response to ocean acidification Cusack, M., Phoenix, V. and Kamenos, N. 2011-2015. £225,234 The Leverhulme Trust.
Functionalised, sticky proteins to direct biomineralisation and cell adhesion. Smith, B., Rhiele, M & Cusack, M. 2011-2015. University of Glasgow Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Scholarship to support a PhD studentship
The role of skeletal microstructure in evolution. Balthasar, U. and Cusack, M. 2009-2012. , €249,000 (Volkswagen Foundation). Co-Investigators: M. Aberhan (Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt University, Berlin)
Understanding Polymorph Production and Control in Calcite/Aragonite Biominerals. BBSRC award in collaboration with Dr Freer of Chemistry. Total awarded = £331k. 2007-2011.
Recent publications | View all publications >> Balthasar U., Cusack, M., Faryma, L., Chung, P., Holmer, L.E., Percival, I.G. & Popov, L.E. in press. Relic aragonite from Ordovician-Silurian brachiopods – implications for evolution of calcification. Geology Pérez-Huerta, A., Cusack, M. and Dalbeck, P. in press. Crystallographic contribution to the vital effect in biogenic carbonates Mg/Ca thermometry. Earth and Environmental Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Dalbeck, P., Cusack, M., Dobson, P.S., Allison, N., Fallick, A. E., Alexander, W. T. and EIMP. 2011. Identification and composition of secondary meniscus calcite in fossil coral and the effect on predicted sea surface temperatures. Chemical Geology, v.208 (3-4), 314-322.
doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.11.018 >> Neary, M. T., Reid, D.G., Mason, M. J., Friščić, T., Duer, M.J. & Cusack, M. 2011. Contrasts between organic participation in apatite biomineralization in brachiopod shell and vertebrate bone identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, v.8 (55), 282-288. doi:10.1098/rsif.2010.0238 >> Pérez-Huerta, A., Dauphin, Y., Cuif, J.P. & Cusack, M. 2011. High resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data in Recent biogenic carbonates: Implications for detecting the effects of diagenesis. Micron, v.42, 246-251.
Cusack, M., Chung, P., Dauphin, Y., & Pérez-Huerta, A. 2010. Brachiopod Primary Layer Crystallography and Nanostructure. Special Papers in Palaeontology, v.84,99-105. Freer, A., Greenwood, D., Chung,P., Pannell,C., Cusack, M. 2010. Aragonite prism-nacre interface in freshwater mussels Anodonta anatina,(Linnaeus, 1758) and Anodonta cygnea, (L. 1758). Crystal Growth and Design. v.10 (1), 344-347.
doi:10.1021/cg901265x >> Ji, B., Cusack, M., Freer, A., Dobson, P.S. Gadegaard, N. and Yin, H. 2010. Control of crystal polymorph in microfluidics using Molluscan 28kDa Ca2+- binding protein. Integrative Biology. v.2, 528-535.
doi:10.1039/C0IB00007H >> MacDonald, J. Freer, A. & Cusack, M. 2010. Attachment of oysters to natural substrata by biologically induced marine carbonate cement. Marine Biology, v.157, 2087-2095. doi:10.1007/s00227-010-1476-7 >> MacDonald, J., Freer, A. & Cusack, M. 2010. Alignment of crystallographic c-axis throughout the four distinct microstructural layers of the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Crystal Growth & Design. v.10 (3), 1243-1246. doi:10.1021/cg901263p >> Recent research grants | View all grants >> Cusack, M., Phoenix, V. and Kamenos, N. 2011-2015. Biomineralisation: protein and mineral response to ocean acidification, £225,234 (The Leverhulme Trust). Smith, B., Rhiele, M & Cusack, M. 2011-2015. Functionalised, sticky proteins to direct biomineralisation and cell adhesion. University of Glasgow Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Scholarship to support a PhD studentship. Balthasar, U. and Cusack, M. 2009-2012. The role of skeletal microstructure in evolution, €249,000 (Volkswagen Foundation). Co-Investigators: M. Aberhan (Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt University, Berlin). Balthasar, U. and Cusack, M. 2009. Deciphering the evolution of calcite biomineralisation from organophosphatic ancestors in brachiopods using tomography, Grant-in-kind £15k (Swiss Light Source). Cusack, M. & Dalbeck, P. Assessing the influence of biological control and low level diagenetic alteration of corals on seawater temperature proxies. Grant in kind of £25k. NERC Ionprobe Facility, Edinburgh (IMF 334/0508). Cusack, M., Chung, P. and Fraser, W.D. (Royal Liverpool Hospital). 2008. High resolution 3-D structure of Paget’s & Alkaptonuria bone. £15k grant-in-kind (Swiss Light Source). Cusack, M. 2007-2008 Crossing the shell-bone divide, £100.5k (MRC Discipline Hopping Award). Co-Investigators: Professor William Fraser (Royal Liverpool Hospital). Cusack, M., Freer, A.A.(Chemistry), Gadegaard, N. & Dobson, P. (Electronic & Electric Engineering). 2007-2011. Engineering novel bio-inspired materials, University of Glasgow Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Scholarship to support a PhD studentship. Cusack, M., Perez-Huerta, A. and Finch, A. (University of St. Andrews) 2007. Magnesium in lattice of calcite brachiopods?, £25k grant-in-kind (Swiss Light Source).
Freer, A.A. (Chemistry) and Cusack, M. 2007-2011. Understanding polymorph production and control in calcite/aragonite biominerals, £331k (BBSRC BB/E025110/1). Co-Investigators: C Wilkinson & Nikolaj Gadegaard (Electronics & Electrical Engineering) Teaching responsibilities Level 1
Earth Resources for Environmental Science students (Lecture & laboratory course)
Level 2
Modern World part of Palaeobiology Earth Sciences Module (Lecture & laboratory course).
7 day field teaching on Arran
Level 3
Integrated Problem Solving.
Level 4
Co-ordinate all aspects of laboratory projects.
Organise poster session for general understanding of science
Contribute to Major Earth Processes Course
Current postgraduate students
Penelope Donohue (PhD candidate)
Du-Jiao Guo (PhD candidate)
Joanne MacDonald (PhD candidate)
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