Publications
2026
Silica Biomineralization in Diatoms
N. Kröger*, Eike Brunner
In: Biomineralization and Bioinspired Composites (P. Fratzl, ed.)
A WSPC Reference on Biomineralization, Vol. 3 (ed. P. Fratzl), World Scientific Publishing , pp. 1013-1091 (2026)
https://doi.org/10.1142/14761
Dynamic switching of cell–substrate contact sites allows gliding diatoms to modulate the curvature of their paths
S. Golfier, V.F. Geyer, L. Lettermann, U.S. Schwarz*, N. Poulsen*, S. Diez*
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 123, e2506122123 (2026)
2024
Gliding motility of the diatom Craspedostauros australis coincides with the intracellular movement of raphid-specific myosins
M. G. Davutoglu, V. F. Geyer, L. Niese, J. R. Soltwedel, M. L. Zoccoler, V. Sabatino, R. Haase, N. Kröger, S. Diez*, N.Poulsen*
Commun Biol 7, 1187 (2024)
Intracellular morphogenesis of diatom silica is guided by local variations in membrane curvature
L. Aram, D. de Haan, N. Varsano, J. Gilchrist, C. Heintze, R. Rotkopf, K. Rechav, N. Elad, N. Kröger, A. Gal*
Nature Communications 5, 7888 (2024)
Mechanism of branching morphogenesis inspired by diatom silica formation
I. Babenko, N. Kröger*, B. M. Friedrich*
PNAS 121, e2309518121 (2024)
2023
Wie man ein Glashaus baut: die außergewöhnliche Proteine der Kieselalgen
N. Kröger, M. Gentzel
BIOspektrum 29, 621-624 (2023)
*Interview with Nils Kröger
Diatom adhesive trail proteins acquired by horizontal gene transfer from bacteria serve as primers for marine biofilm formation
J. Zackova Suchanova, G. Bilcke, B. Romanowska, A. Fatlawi, M. Pippel, A. Skeffington, M. Schroeder, W. Vyverman, K. Vandepoele, N. Kröger, N. Poulsen
New Phytologist 240, 770-783 (2023)
Thalassiosira pseudonana (Cyclotella nana) (Hustedt) Hasle et Heimdal (Bacillariophyceae): A genetically tractable model organism for studying diatom biology, including biological silica formation
N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
J. Phycol. 59, 809-817 (2023)
On the role of cell surface associated, mucin-like glycoproteins in the pennate diatom Craspedostauros australis (Bacillariophyceae)*
N. Poulsen, H. Hennig, V. F. Geyer, S. Diez, R. Wetherbee, S. Fitz-Gibbon, M. Pellegrini, N. Kröger
J. Phycol. 59, 54-69 (2023)
*Algal Highlight: Gliding toward new discoveries in diatom adhesion and motility
R. Abbriano
J. Phycol, 59, 52-53 (2023)
2022
The molecular basis for pore pattern morphogenesis in diatom silica
C. Heintze, I. Babenko, J. Zackova Suchanova, A. Skeffington, B. M. Friedrich N. Kröger
PNAS 119, e2211549119 (2022)
*Highlight article: Die Spitzenmuster der Kieselalgan
Michael Groß
Nachrichten aus der Chemie 71 (2023)
*Highlight article: Proteins behind diatoms' intricate nanoscale-patterned shells revealed
Michael Groß
Chemistry World (2023)
Shedding light on silica biomineralization by comparative analysis of the silica-associated proteomes from three diatom species
A. Skeffington, M. Gentzel, A. Ohara, A. Milentyev, C. Heintze, L. Böttcher, S. Görlich, A. Shevchenko, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
Plant J. 110, 1700-1716 (2022)
Structure and morphogenesis of the frustule
I. Babenko, B.M. Friedrich, N. Kröger
The Molecular Life of Diatoms (eds Falciatore, A., Mock, T.), Springer, pp. 287-312 (2022)
Biomolecules involved in frustule biogenesis and function
N. Kröger
The Molecular Life of Diatoms (eds Falciatore, A., Mock, T.), Springer, pp. 313-343 (2022)
Adhesion and motility
N. Poulsen, M.G. Davutoglu, J. Zackova Suchanova
The Molecular Life of Diatoms (eds Falciatore, A., Mock, T.), Springer, pp. 367-393 (2022)
2021
The role of organic matrices in biomineralization
N. Kröger, E. Brunner, L. Estroff, F. Martin
Discover Mater. 1, 21 (2021)
Diurnal transcript profiling of the diatom Seminavis robusta reveals adaptations to a benthic lifestyle
G. Bilcke, C. M. Osuna-Cruz, M.Santana Silva, N. Poulsen, S. D’hondt, P. Bulankova, W. Vyverman, L. De Veylder, K. Vandepoele
Plant J. 107, 315–336 (2021)
Computational analysis of the effects of nitrogen source and sin1 knockout on biosilica morphology in the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
S. Horvát, A. Fathima, S. Görlich, M. Schlierf, C. D. Modes, N. Kröger
Discover Mater. 1, 8 (2021)
Mating type specific transcriptomic response to sex inducing pheromone in the pennate diatom Seminavis robusta
G. Bilcke, K. Van den Berge, S. De Decker, E. Bonneure, N. Poulsen, P. Bulankova, C. M. Osuna-Cruz, J. Dickenson, K. Sabbe, G. Pohnert, K. Vandepoele, S. Mangelinckx, L. Clement, L. De Veylder, W. Vyverman
ISME J. 15, 562–576 (2021)
2020
Natural hybrid silica/protein superstructure at atomic resolution
S. Görlich, A. J. Samuel, R.J. Best, R. Seidel, J. Vacelet, F. K.Leonarski, T. Tomizaki, B. Rellinghaus, D. Pohl, I. Zlotnikov
PNAS 202019140 (2020)
An intimate view into the silica deposition vesicles of diatoms
C. Heintze, P. Formanek, D. Pohl, J. Hauptstein, B. Rellinghaus, N. Kröger
BMC Mater. 2, 11 (2020)
Chitin synthase localization in the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
M. Wustman, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger, K. H. van Pée
BMC Mater. 2, 10 (2020)
The Seminavis robusta genome provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations of benthic diatoms
C. Osuna-Cruz et al.
Nat. Commun. 11, 3320 (2020)
Genetically programmed regioselective immobilization of enzymes in biosilica microparticles
E. Kumari, S. Görlich, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
Adv. Funct. Mater. 30, 2000442 (2020)
2019
Identification of proteins in the adhesive trails of the diatom Amphora coffeaeformis
M. Lachnit, M.T. Buhmann, J. Klemm, N. Kröger, N. Poulsen
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 374, 20190196 (2019)
Control of biosilica morphology and mechanical performance by the conserved diatom gene Silicanin-1
S. Görlich, D. Pawolski, I. Zlotnikov, N. Kröger
Commun. Biol. 2, 245 (2019)
Influence of silica architecture on the catalytic activity of immobilized glucose oxidase
G. Begum, C. Oschatz, M. Oschatz, S. Kaskel, E. Brunner, N. Kröger
Bioinspired Biomimetic and Nanobiomaterials 8, 72-80 (2019)
2018
Biomineralization as a paradigm of directional solidification: a physical model for molluscan shell ultrastructural morphogenesis
V. Schoeppler, L. Gránásy, E. Reich, N. Poulsen, R. de Kloe, P. Cook, A. Rack, T. Pusztai, I. Zlotnikov
Adv. Mater. 30, 1803855 (2018)
Reconstituting the formation of hierarchically porous silica patterns using diatom biomolecules
D. Pawolski, C. Heintze, I. Mey, C. Steinem, N. Kröger
J. Struct. Biol. 204, 64-74 (2018)
2017
Immobilization of proteins on diatom biosilica
N. Kröger, N. C. Dubey, E. Kumari
In: Diatom Nanotechnology (ed. D. Losic), RSC Publishing, pp. 126-149 (2017)
Silicanin-1 is a conserved diatom membrane protein involved in silica biomineralization
A. Kotzsch, P. Gröger, D. Pawolski, P. H. H. Bomans, N. A. J. M. Sommerdijk, M. Schlierf, N. Kröger
BMC Biol. 15, 65 (2017)
2016
Establishing super-resolution imaging for proteins in diatom biosilica
P. Gröger, N. Poulsen, J. Klemm, N. Kröger, M. Schlierf
Sci. Rep. 6, 36824 (2016)
Structures of the PSCD domains of pleuralin-1, a biosilica-associated protein from the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis, and their interactions with other cell wall proteins
S. De Sanctis, M. Wenzler, N. Kröger, W. M. Malloni, M. Sumper, R. Deutzmann, P. Zadravec, E. Brunner, W. Kremer, H. R. Kalbitzer
Structure 24, 1178–1191 (2016)
Biochemical composition and assembly of biosilica-associated insoluble organic matrices from the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
A. Kotzsch, D. Pawolski, A. Milentyev, Anna Shevchenko, A. Scheffel, N. Poulsen, Andrej Shevchenko, N. Kröger
J. Biol. Chem. 291, 4982-4997 (2016)
2015
Targeted drug delivery using genetically engineered diatom biosilica
B. Delalat, V. Sheppard, S. Rasi Ghaemi, S. Rao, C. Prestidge, G. McPhee, M.-L. Rogers, J. Donoghue, V. Pillay, T. Johns, N. Kröger, N. Voelcker
Nat. Commun. 6, 8791 (2015)
Compartmentalisation of enzymes for cascade reactions through biomimetic layer-by-layer mineralization
G. Begum, W. B. Goodwin, B. M. deGlee, K. H. Sandhage, N. Kröger
J. Mater. Chem. B 3, 5232-5240 (2015)
2014
A Tyrosine-rich cell surface protein in the diatom Amphora coffeaeformis identified through transcriptome analysis and genetic transformation
M. T. Buhmann, N. Poulsen, J. Klemm, M. R. Kennedy, C. D. Sherrill, N. Kröger
PLOS ONE 9, e110369 (2014)
Complex-shaped microbial biominerals for nanotechnology
N. Kröger, E. Brunner
WIREs Nanomed. Nanobiotechnol. 6, 615-627 (2014)
Isolation and biochemical characterization of underwater adhesives from diatoms
N. Poulsen, N. Kröger , M. J. Harrington, E. Brunner, S. Paasch, M. T. Buhmann
Biofouling 30, 513-523 (2014)
2013
Nitrate and carbonate concentration for high glucose content in microalgae
N. Kröger, S. J. Miller, N. Poulsen
US patent US8569040 B1 (approved)
Pentalysine clusters mediate silica targeting of silaffins in Thalassiosira pseudonana
N. Poulsen, A. Scheffel, V. C. Sheppard, P. M. Chesley, N. Kröger
J. Biol Chem. 288, 20100-20109 (2013)
Kieselalgen für die Nanotechnik
N. Kröger
Nachrichten aus der Chemie 61, 514-518 (2013)
Rapid flow-through biocatalysis with high surface area, enzyme -loaded carbon and gold- bearing diatom frustule replicas
S. C. Davis, V. C. Sheppard, G. Begum, Y. Cai, Y. Fang, J. D. Berrigan, N. Kröger, Kenneth H. Sandhage
Adv. Funct. Mater. 23, 4611-4620 (2013)
Morphogenese der Silica-Zellwände von Diatomeen
N. Kröger
BIOspektrum 19, 12-15 (2013)
2012
Live diatom silica immobilization of multimeric and redox-active enzymes
V. C. Sheppard, A. Scheffel, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78, 211-218 (2012)
2011
Biocatalytic nanoscale coatings through biomimetic layer-by-layer mineralization
N. R. Haase, S. Shian, K. H. Sandhage, N. Kröger
Adv. Funct. Mater. 21, 4243-4251 (2011)
Nanopatterned protein microrings from a diatom that direct silica morphogenesis
A. Scheffel, N. Poulsen, S. Shian, N. Kröger
PNAS 108, 3175-3180 (2011)
2010
From diatom biomolecules to bioinspired syntheses of silica- and titania-based materials.
N. Kröger, K. H. Sandhage
MRS Bull. 35, 122-126 (2010)
Characterization of an endoplasmic reticulum-associated silaffin kinase from the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
V. C. Sheppard, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
J. Biol. Chem. 285, 1166-1176 (2010)
2009
Protein-mediated layer-by-layer syntheses of freestanding microscale titania structures with biologically assembled 3-D morphologies
Y. Fang, Q. Wu, M. B. Dickerson, Y. Cai, S. Shian, J. Berrigan, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger, K. H. Sandhage
Chem. Mater. 21, 5704-5710 (2009)
The molecular basis of nacre formation
N. Kröger
Science 325, 1351-1352 (2009)
Protein-enabled synthesis of monodisperse titania nanoparticles on and within polyelectrolyte matrices
E. Kharlampieva, J. M. Slocik, S. Singamaneni, N. Poulsen, N. Kröger, R. R. Naik, V. V. Tsukruk
Adv. Funct. Mat. 19: 2303-2311 (2009)
2008
Diatoms - from cell wall biogenesis to nanotechnology
N. Kröger, N. Poulsen
Annu. Rev. Genet. 42, 83-107 (2008)
The Phaeodactylum genome reveals the evolutionary history of diatom genomes
C. Bowler, et al.
Nature 456, 239-244 (2008)
Bio-enabled surface-mediated growth of uniform titania nanoparticles
E. Kharlampieva, T. Tsukruk, J. M. Slocik, H. Ko, N. Poulsen, R. R. Naik, N. Kröger, V. V. Tsukruk
Adv. Mater. 20, 3274-3279 (2008)
Identification of peptides capable of inducing the formation of titania but not silica via a subtractive bacteriophage display approach
Y. Fang, N. Poulsen, M. B. Dickerson, Y. Cai, S. E. Jones, R. R. Naik, N. Kröger, K. H. Sandhage
J. Mater. Chem. 18, 3871-3875 (2008)
2007
Prescribing diatom morphology: toward genetic engineering of biological nanomaterials
N. Kröger
Cur. Opin. Chem. Biol. 11, 662-669 (2007)
Biochemistry and molecular genetics of silica biomineralization in diatoms
N. Kröger, N. Poulsen
In: Handbook of Biomineralization - Biological Aspects and Structure Formation (ed. E. Baeuerlein), Wiley-VCH, pp. 43-58 (2007)
Silica immobilization of an enzyme via genetic engineering of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
N. Poulsen, C. Berne, J. Spain, N. Kröger
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46, 1843-1846 (2007)
Identification and design of peptides for the rapid, high yield formation of nanoparticulate TiO2 from aqueous solutions at room temperature
M. B. Dickerson, S. E. Jones, Y. Cai, G. Ahmad, R. R. Naik, N. Kröger, K. H. Sandhage
Chem. Mater. 20, 1578-1584 (2007)
2006
Bio-enabled synthesis of rutile (TiO2) at ambient temperature and neutral pH
N. Kröger, M. B. Dickerson, G. Ahmad, Y. Cai, M. S. Haluska, K. H. Sandhage, N. Poulsen, V. C. Sheppard
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 45, 7239-7243 (2006)
Molecular genetic manipulation of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (Bacillariophyceae)
N. Poulsen, P. M. Chesley, N. Kröger
J. Phycol. 42, 1059-1065 (2006)
Rapid, room-temperature formation of crystalline calcium molybdate phosphor microparticles via peptide-induced precipitation
G. Ahmad, M. B. Dickerson, C. Church, Y. Cai, S. E. Jones, R. R. Naik, J. S. King, J. C. Summers, N. Kröger, K. H. Sandhage
Adv. Mater. 18, 1759-1763 (2006)
2005
Biosilica nanofabrication in diatoms: the structures and properties of regulatory silaffins
N. Kröger, N. Poulsen
MRS Proceedings, 873, K1.2 (2005)
A new molecular tool for transgenic diatoms: control of mRNA and protein biosynthesis by an inducible promoter-terminator cassette
N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
FEBS J. 272, 3413-3423 (2005)
2004
Silica morphogenesis by alternative processing of silaffins in the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana
N. Poulsen, N. Kröger
J. Biol. Chem. 279, 42993-42999 (2004)
The genome of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: ecology, evolution, and metabolism
E. V. Ambrust, et al.
Science 306, 79-86 (2004)
The molecular basis of diatom biosilica formation
N. Kröger, M. Sumper
In: Biomineralization (ed. E. Baeuerlein) 2nd edition, Wiley-VCH, pp. 137-158 (2004)
Silica formation in diatoms: the function of long-chain polyamines and silaffins
M. Sumper, N. Kröger
J. Mater. Chem. 14, 2059-2065 (2004)
2003
Biosilica formation in diatoms: characterization of native silaffin-2 and its role in silica morphogenesis
N. Poulsen, M. Sumper, N. Kröger
PNAS 100, 12075-12080 (2003)
Solid-state 29Si MAS NMR studies of diatoms: structural characterization of biosilica deposits
R. Bertermann, N. Kröger, R. Tacke
Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 375, 630-634 (2003)
Silica deposition by a repetitive proline-rich protein from systemically resistant cucumber plants
H. Kauss, K. Seehaus, R. Franke, S. Gilbert, R. Dietrich, N. Kröger
Plant J. 33, 87-95 (2003)
2002
Self-assembly of highly phosphorylated silaffins and their function in biosilica morphogenesis
N. Kröger, S. Lorenz, E. Brunner, M. Sumper
Science 298, 584-586 (2002)
2001
The sweetness of diatom molecular engineering
N. Kröger
J. Phycol. 37, 657-658 (2001)
Silica precipitating peptides from diatoms: The chemical structure of silaffin-1A from Cylindrotheca fusiformis
N. Kröger, R. Deutzmann, M. Sumper
J. Biol. Chem. 276, 26066-26070 (2001)
1H, 13C and 15N sequence-specific resonance assignment of the PSCD4 domain of diatom cell wall protein pleuralin-1
M. Wenzler, E. Brunner, N. Kröger, G. Lehmann, M. Sumper, H. R. Kalbitzer
J. Biomolec. NMR 20, 191-192 (2001)
The biogenesis of silicate cell walls of diatoms
N. Kröger
BIOspektrum 6, 556-557 (2001)
2000
Species specific polyamines from diatoms control silica morphology
N. Kröger, R. Deutzmann, C. Bergsdorf, M. Sumper
PNAS 97, 14133-14138 (2000)
Pleuralins are involved in theca differentiation in the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis
N. Kröger, R. Wetherbee
Protist 151, 263-273 (2000)
The biochemistry of silica formation in diatoms
N. Kröger, M. Sumper
In: Biomineralization (ed. E. Baeuerlein) 1st edition, Wiley-VCH, pp. 151-170 (2000)
1999
Polycationic peptides from diatom biosilica that direct silica nanosphere formation
N. Kröger, R. Deutzmann, M. Sumper
Science 286, 1129-1132 (1999)
Targeting and covalent modification of cell wall and membrane proteins heterologously expressed in the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis (Bacillariophyceae)
H. Fischer, I. Robl, M. Sumper, N. Kröger
J. Phycol. 35, 113-120 (1999)
1998
Diatom cell wall proteins and the cell biology of silica biomineralization
N. Kröger, M. Sumper
Protist 149, 213-219 (1998)
1997
Characterization of a 200 kDa diatom protein that is specifically associated with a silica-based substructure of the cell wall
N. Kröger, G. Lehmann, R. Rachel, M. Sumper
Eur. J. Biochem. 250, 99-105 (1997)
Diatomeen - Architekten des Mikrokosmos
M. Sumper, N. Kröger
Blick in die Wissenschaft 6, 26-27 (1997)
1996
Frustulins: domain conservation in a protein family associated with diatom cell walls
N. Kröger, C. Bergsdorf, M. Sumper
Eur. J. Biochem. 239, 259-264 (1996)
1995
Proteine der Diatomeenzellwand: Primärstrukturen, Eigenschaften und mögliche Rolle bei der Zellwandbiogenese
N. Kröger
PhD Dissertation, Universität Regensburg (1995)
1994
A new calcium binding glycoprotein family constitutes a major diatom cell wall component
N. Kröger, C. Bergsdorf, M. Sumper
EMBO J. 13, 4676-4683 (1994)