Pupa Gilbert Research Group
(née Gelsomina De Stasio)

Publications

Peer-reviewed publications, the most significant of which are highlighted in bold.
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  1. PUPA Gilbert, DR Green, P Mahoney, D Guatelli-Steinberg, WS McGraw, E Lagan, FK Manthi, S Muteti, E Ndiema, F Ramirez Rozzi, CA Stifler, CA Schmidt, BQ Achinuq, A Scholl, B Gilbert, MC O’Hara. 
    Human and primate enamel nanocrystal c-axis misorientation varied with diet. 
    Nature, accepted “in principle” for publication (2026).
  2. PUPA Gilbert.
    Sea urchin spines generate electrical signals in flowing water.
    New&views,
    DOI: 10.1038/d41586-026-00374-6
    Nature 651, 315-316 (2026).
  3. Z Rechav, E Tambutté, IM LeCloux, S Anglemyer, NE Beltz, NA Chou, BE Dixson-Kruijf, J Domagk, AM Larson, SW Lewis, R Rich, LO Saheed, JL Schwenk, JS Sengkhammee, CA Waltenberg, J Ye, BQ Achinuq, AA Venn, S Tambutté, PUPA Gilbert.
    Exponential crystallization in corals.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69215-4
    Nature Communications 17, 2870/1-12 (2026).
  4. J Wilcots, KD Bergmann, PUPA Gilbert, AJ Cross.
    Nanoscale crystal fabric preserved in dolomite ooids at the onset of the ediacaran Shuram excursion.
    DOI: 10.2110/001c.145144
    The Sedimentary Record 23, 1-17 (2025). PDF
  5. CA Schmidt, WO Nachlas, B Schneider, X Mao, E Tambutté, AA Venn, S Tambutté, PUPA Gilbert.
    Multiple twinning in nacre and aragonite.
    DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202518248
    Advanced Functional Materials 36, e18248/1-12 (2025). PDF
  6. EW Lees, C Tournassat, AZ Weber, PUPA Gilbert.
    eCoral: How electrolysis could restore seawater conditions ideal for coral reefs.
    DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c02715
    J Phys Chem Letters 15, 12206-12211 (2024). Selected as COVER story.
  7. CA Schmidt, E Tambutté, AA Venn, Z Zou, C Castillo Alvarez, LS Devriendt, HA Bechtel, CA Stifler, S Anglemyer, CP Breit, CL Foust, A Hopanchuk, CN Klaus, IJ Kohler, IM LeCloux, J Mezera, M Patton, A Purisch, V Quach, JS Sengkhammee, T Sristy, S Vattem, EJ Walch, M Albéric, Y Politi, P Fratzl, S Tambutté, PUPA Gilbert.
    Myriad Mapping of nanoscale minerals reveals calcium carbonate hemihydrate in forming nacre and coral biominerals.
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46117-x
    Nature Communications 15, 1812, 1-15 (2024).
    Highlighted in Science 384, 402-403 (2024). link
  8. C Castillo Alvarez, JL Grimsich, CA Schmidt, H Lisabeth, A Voigtländer, PUPA Gilbert.
    Calcite twinning in mollusk shells and Carrara marble.
    DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202304288
    Adv Funct Mater 34, 2304288, 1-9 (2024).
  9. AJ Lew, CA Stifler, A Cantamessa, A Tits, D Ruffoni, PUPA Gilbert, MJ Buehler.
    Deep learning virtual indenter maps nanoscale hardness rapidly and non-destructively, revealing mechanism and enhancing bioinspired design.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.03.031
    Matter 6, 1975-1991 (2023).
  10. AJ Lew, CA Stifler, A Tits, CA Schmidt, A Scholl, A Cantamessa, L Müller, Y Delaunois, P Compère, D Ruffoni, MJ Buehler*, PUPA Gilbert*.
    A molecular scale understanding of misorientation toughening in corals and seashells.
    DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300373
    Advanced Materials 35, 2300373 (2023). INSIDE COVER PDF
    VIDEO
  11. PUPA Gilbert.
    Biomineral Mesostructure.
    DOI: 10.1557/s43577-023-00479-7
    MRS Bulletin 48, 413-420 (2023). PDF
  12. J Sui, J Li, L Gu, CA Schmidt, Z Zhang, Y Shao, E Gazit, PUPA Gilbert, X Wang.
    Orientation-Controlled Crystallization of γ-Glycine Films with Enhanced Piezoelectricity.
    DOI: 10.1039/D2TB00997H
    J Mat Chem B 10, 6958-6964 (2022).
  13. AJ Lew, E Beniash, PUPA Gilbert*, MJ Buehler*.
    Role of the mineral in the self-healing of cracks in human enamel.
    DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c10407
    ACS Nano 16, 10273–10280 (2022).
  14. PUPA Gilbert*, KD Bergmann, N Boekelheide, S Tambutté, T Mass, F Marin, JF Adkins, J Erez, B Gilbert, V Knutson, M Cantine, J Ortega Hernández, AH Knoll*.
    Biomineralization: integrating mechanism and evolutionary history.
    DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9653
    Science Advances 8, eabl9653 (2022). COVER PDF
  15. CA Stifler, H Yamazaki, PUPA Gilbert, HC Margolis, E Beniash.
    Loss of biological control of enamel mineralization in amelogenin-phosphorylation-deficient mice.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2022.107844
    J Struct Biol 214, 107844 (2022). PDF
  16. CA Schmidt, CA Stifler, EL Luffey, BI Fordyce, A Ahmed, G Barreiro Pujol, CP Breit, SS Davison, CN Klaus, IJ Koehler, IM LeCloux, C Matute Diaz, CM Nguyen, V Quach, JS Sengkhammee, EJ Walch, MM Xiong, E Tambutté, S Tambutté, T Mass, PUPA Gilbert.
    Faster crystallization during coral skeleton formation correlates with resilience to ocean acidification.
    DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c11434
    J Am Chem Soc 144, 1332-1341 (2022). PDF
  17. Z Deng, H-C Loh, Z Jia, CA Stifler, A Masic, PUPA Gilbert, R Shahar, L Li.
    Black Drum Fish Teeth: Built for Crushing Mollusk Shells.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.10.023
    Acta Biomaterialia 137, 147-161 (2022). PDF
  18. CA Stifler, CE Killian, PUPA Gilbert.
    Evidence for a liquid precursor to biomineral formation.
    DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.1c00865
    Cryst Growth Des 21, 6635-6641 (2021). PDF
  19. L Gránásy, L Rátkai, GI Tóth, PUPA Gilbert, I Zlotnikov, T Pusztai.
    Phase-field modeling of biomineralization in mollusks and corals: microstructure vs formation mechanism.
    DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00026
    J Am Chem Soc Au 1, 1014-1033 (2021). PDF
  20. J Salman, CA Stifler, A Shahsafi, C-Y Sun, S Weibold, M Frising, B Rubio-Perez, Y Xiao, C Draves, R Wambold, Z Yu, DC Bradley, G Kemeny, PUPA Gilbert*, MA Kats*.
    Hyperspectral interference tomography of nacre.
    DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023623118
    Procs Natl Acad Sci 118, e2023623118 (2021). PDF
  21. CA Stifler, J Jakes, J North, D Green, JC Weaver, PUPA Gilbert.
    Crystal misorientation correlates with hardness in tooth enamels.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.07.037
    Acta Biomater 120, 124-134 (2021). PDF
  22. C-Y Sun, L Gránásy, CA Stifler, JAY Zhang, T Zaquin, T Mass, S Goffredo, G Falini, MA Marcus, R Chopdekar, T Pusztai, JC Weaver, PUPA Gilbert.
    Crystal nucleation and growth in spherulites revealed by coral skeletons.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.06.027
    Acta Biomater 120, 277-292 (2021). PDF
  23. Y-H Lo, J Zhou, A Rana, D Morrill, C Gentry, B Enders, Y-S Yu, C-Y Sun, D Shapiro, RW Falcone, H Kapteyn, M Murnane, PUPA Gilbert, and J Miao.
    X-ray linear dichroic ptychography.
    DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019068118
    Procs Natl Acad Sci 118, e2019068118 (2021). PDF
  24. H Li, C-Y Sun, Y Fang, CM Carlson, H Xu, A Ješovnik, J Sosa-Calvo, R Zarnowski, HA Bechtel, JH Fournelle, DR Andes, TR Schultz, PUPA Gilbert, CR Currie.
    Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants.
    DOI: 10.1038/S41467-020-19566-3
    Nature Communications 11, 5792 (2020). PDF
  25. H-C Loh, T Divoux, B Gludovatz, PUPA Gilbert, RO Ritchie, F-J Ulm, A Masic.
    Nacre toughening due to cooperative plastic deformation of co-oriented aragonite platelets.
    DOI: 10.1038/s43246-020-00078-y
    Communications Materials 1, 77 (2020). PDF
  26. C-Y Sun, CA Stifler, RV Chopdekar, CA Schmidt, G Parida, V Schoeppler, BI Fordyce, JH Brau, T Mass, S Tambutté, PUPA Gilbert.
    From particle attachment to space-filling coral skeletons.
    DOI 10.1073/pnas.2012025117
    Procs Natl Acad Sci 117, 30159-30170 ( 2020). PDF
  27. R Laipnik, V Bissi, C-Y Sun, G Falini, PUPA Gilbert, T Mass.
    Coral acid rich protein selects vaterite polymorph in vitro.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.107431
    J Struct Biol 209, 107431 (2020). PDF
  28. E Beniash, CA Stifler, C-Y Sun, GS Jung, Z Qin, MJ Buehler, PUPA Gilbert.
    The hidden structure of human enamel.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12185-7
    Nature Communications 10, 4383/1-13 (2019). PDF
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