Email
ebeniash@dental.pitt.edu

Phone
412-648-0108

Office
589 Salk Hall
3501 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Position
Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology
School of Dental Medicine

Research Interests
Biogenic mineralized materials—such as those found in shells, bones, and teeth are produced by organisms ranging from bacteria to higher plants and mammals. The main role of these “biominerals” is mechanical reinforcement of tissues and organs. They often have properties superior to those of synthetic materials, a fact that is especially fascinating given a limited spectrum of conditions in which biological systems can effectively operate. The secret to the efficiency of biominerals is their sophisticated structure. We seek to understand the basic mechanisms of control by which organisms form these materials. We believe that this understanding will help us design advanced organo¬mineral composite materials to be used in repairing hard tissue such as enamel, dentin, and bone. Novel ways of manufacturing tissue-repair materials using strategies found in nature have recently received much attention. Interest in this field has been accelerated by successes in nanotechnology that should help to revolutionize the field of restorative medicine. The general consensus among scientists is that this approach will provide biocompatible materials with structural and mechanical properties that match those of biological tissues. Our studies are focused on understanding basic strategies of mineralization in biological systems and on applying those strategies to the design of new, nanostructured composite materials.

Selected Publications
Margolis HC, Beniash E, Fowler CE. 2006. Role of macromolecular assembly of enamel matrix proteins in enamel formation. J. Dent. Res. 85(9):775–793.

Beniash E, Skobe Z, Bartlett JD. 2006. Formation of the dentino-enamel interface in enamelysin (MMP-20) deficient mouse incisors. Eur. J. Oral Sci. 114(Suppl. 1) :24–29.

Beniash E, Hartgerink JD, Storrie H, Stendahl JC, Stupp SI. 2005. Self-assembling peptide amphiphile nanofiber matrices for cell entrapment. Acta Biomaterialia 1 (4):387–397.

Beniash E, Simmer JP, Margolis HC. 2005. Effects of recombinant mouse amelogenins on the formation and organization of hydroxyapatite crystals in vitro. J. Struct. Biol. 149(2):182–190.

Bartlett JD, Beniash E, Lee DH, Smith CE. 2004. Decreased mineral content in MMP-20 null mouse enamel is prominent during the maturation stage. J. Dent. Res. 83(1 2):909–913.

Hartgerink JD, Beniash E, Stupp SI. 2002. Peptide-amphiphile nanofibers: A flexible scaffold for the preparation of materials. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 99 (8):51 33–51 38.

Hartgerink JD, Beniash E, Stupp SI. 2001. Self-assembly and mineralization of peptide-amphiphile nanofibers. Science 294(5547):1 684–1688.

Beniash E, Traub W, Veis A, Weiner S. 2000. A transmission electron microscope study using vitrified ice sections of predentin: Structural changes in the dentin collagenous matrix prior to mineralization. J. Struct. Biol. 132(3):212–225.

Beniash E, Aizenberg J, Addadi L, Weiner S. 1997. Amorphous calcium carbonate transforms into calcite during sea urchin larval spicule growth. Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 264:461 –465.