Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “core formation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Crystallographic Evidence for Formation of M 6 O 8 /M 6 O 9 f-Element Clusters in Hydrolysis Reactions

In this contribution, we have conducted an examination of crystallographic data which includes 184 4f- and 5f-structures containing the M 6 O 8 or M 6 O 9 moiety. Since much of the work in this field has actually been done to explore the formation and properties of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), we hope that this collection can be used by actinide scientists to further investigate structural and mechanistic trends and gain insight into the formation of these compounds. Here we discuss the general trends in coordination, ligands used, and bonding within the M 6 O 8 or M 6 O 9 core in the hope that further computational work can benefit.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sterols are required for the coordinated assembly of lipid droplets in developing seeds

Abstract Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles critical for energy storage and lipid metabolism. They are typically composed of an oil core coated by a monolayer of phospholipids and proteins such as oleosins. The mechanistic details of LD biogenesis remain poorly defined. However, emerging evidence suggest that their formation is a spatiotemporally regulated process, occurring at specific sites of the endoplasmic reticulum defined by a specific set of lipids and proteins. Here, we show that sterols are required for formation of oleosin-coated LDs in Arabidopsis. Analysis of sterol pathway mutants revealed that deficiency in several ∆ 5 -sterols accounts for the phenotype. Importantly, mutants deficient in these sterols also display reduced LD number, increased LD size and reduced oil content in seeds. Collectively, our data reveal a role of sterols in coordinating the synthesis of oil and oleosins and their assembly into LDs, highlighting the importance of membrane lipids in regulating LD biogenesis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Differences in chemical evolution between isolated and embedded prestellar cores

Models of prestellar cores often assume that the cores are isolated from their environment – material outside the core boundary plays no role in the subsequent evolution. This is unlikely to be the case in reality, where cores are located within hierarchically substructured molecular clouds. Here, we investigate the dynamical and chemical evolution of prestellar cores, modelled as Bonnor–Ebert spheres, and show that the density of the ambient medium has a large impact on the resulting chemical properties of the cores. Models embedded in high-density, low-temperature surroundings have greatly enhanced abundances of several molecules, such as CO and CS, compared to models with more diffuse surroundings, corresponding to relatively isolated cores. The predicted intensities and profile shapes of molecular lines are also affected. The density of the ambient medium has a stronger effect on the chemical evolution than whether the cores are initially in or out of equilibrium. This suggests that the impact of environment cannot be neglected when modelling chemistry in prestellar cores; the results of these models are highly sensitive to the assumptions made about the core surroundings.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Be 7 and Li 7 nuclei within the no-core shell model with continuum

The production of $^7Be$ and $^7Li$ nuclei plays an important role in primordial nucleosynthesis, nuclear astrophysics, and fusion energy generation. The $^3He(α,γ) ^7Be$ and $^3H(α,γ) 7Li$ radiative-capture processes are important to determine the $^7Li$ abundance in the early universe and to predict the correct fraction of $pp$ -chain branches resulting in $^7Be$ versus $^8B$ neutrinos. The $^6Li(p,γ) ^7Be$ has been investigated recently hinting at a possible cross section enhancement near the threshold. The $^6Li (n,^3H) ^4He$ process can be utilized for tritium breeding in machines dedicated to fusion energy generation through the deuteron-tritium reaction, and is a neutron cross section standard used in the measurement and evaluation of fission cross sections. In this work we study the properties of $^7Be$ and $^7Li$ within the no-core shell model with continuum (NCSMC) method, using chiral nucleon-nucleon interactions as the only input, and analyze all the binary mass partitions involved in the formation of these systems. The NCSMC is an ab initio method applicable to light nuclei that provides a unified description of bound and scattering states and thus is well suited to investigate systems with many resonances and pronounced clustering like $^7Be$ and $^7Li$. Our calculations reproduce all the experimentally known states of the two systems and provide predictions for several new resonances of both parities. Some of these new possible resonances are built on the ground states of $^6Li$ and $^6He$, and thus represent a robust prediction. We do not find any resonance in the $p + ^6Li$ mass partition near the threshold. On the other hand, in the $p + ^6He$ mass partition of $^7Li$ we observe an $S$ -wave resonance near the threshold producing a very pronounced peak in the calculated $S$ factor of the $^6He (p,γ)$ $^7Li$ radiative-capture reaction. While we do not find a resonance near the threshold in the $p + ^6Li$ channel, in the case of $^6He + p$ reaction a resonant S -wave state is predicted at a very low energy above the reaction threshold, which could be relevant for astrophysics and its implications should be investigated. We note though that this state lies above the three-body breakup threshold not included in our method and may be influenced by three-body continuum correlations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Charge Transfer and Built-in Electric Fields between a Crystalline Oxide and Silicon

Built-in electric fields across heterojunctions between semiconducting materials underpin the functionality of modern device technologies. Heterojunctions between semiconductors and epitaxially grown crystalline oxides provide a rich setting in which built-in fields can be explored. Here, we present an electrical transport and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of epitaxial SrNbxTi1-xO3-d / Si heterojunctions.

Lim, Zhenghui↗
DOE OSTI2020

A molten carbonate shell modified perovskite redox catalyst for anaerobic oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

Acceptor-doped, redox-active perovskite oxides such as La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3 (LSF) are active for ethane oxidation to CO x but show poor selectivity to ethylene. This article reports molten Li 2 CO 3 as an effective “promoter” to modify LSF for chemical looping–oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) of ethane. Under the working state, the redox catalyst is composed of a molten Li 2 CO 3 layer covering the solid LSF substrate. The molten layer facilitates the transport of active peroxide (O 2 2- ) species formed on LSF while blocking the nonselective sites. Spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations indicate that Fe 4+ →Fe 3+ transition is responsible for the peroxide formation, which results in both exothermic ODH and air reoxidation steps. With >90% ethylene selectivity, up to 59% ethylene yield, and favorable heat of reactions, the core-shell redox catalyst has an excellent potential to be effective for intensified ethane conversion. The mechanistic findings also provide a generalized approach for designing CL-ODH redox catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of Pliocene and Miocene Formations in the Wilmington Graben, Offshore Los Angeles, for Large-Scale Geologic Storage of CO2

The project Characterization of Pliocene and Miocene Formations in the Wilmington Graben, Offshore Los Angeles, for Large-Scale Geologic Storage of CO2 is one of 9 site characterization projects that were implemented as part of ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). Data from this project was used to improve resolution of data in NATCARB in the area of study. Data related to this study has already been incorporated in NATCARB Atlas. The Los Angeles Basin presents an opportunity for large-scale geologic CO2 storage. Due to its large population and historical and geologic setting as one of the most prolific oil and gas producing basins in the United States, the region is home to more than 12 major power plants and oil refineries that produce more than 5 million metric tons of fossil fuel-related CO2 emissions each year. GeoMechanics Technologies worked to characterize the Pliocene and Miocene sediments in the Wilmington Graben, offshore of Los Angeles, California, for high-volume CO2 storage. The Graben is located offshore of the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor area, making it accessible yet geologically isolated from the nearby Wilmington oilfield and onshore areas. These sediments span more than 5,000 feet of vertical interval with an estimated storage resource of more than 100 million metric tons of CO2. The project team analyzed and interpreted existing geologic data within the region, including detailed exploration well log data and 2-D and 3-D seismic data. New seismic lines were acquired to fill in current data gap areas and two new characterization wells were drilled and logged. This information was integrated with existing geologic interpretations for adjacent onshore areas to help characterize optimal areas for CO2 storage and seals to safely store CO2. Integrated 3-D geologic and geomechanical models for the Wilmington Graben were developed to simulate the fate and transport of injected CO2 in the subsurface and to assess risks. This project contributed to the understanding of injectivity, containment mechanisms, rate of dissolution and mineralization, and storage capacity of the Wilmington Graben and associated analogous basins. This effort also provided greater insight into the potential for offshore geologic formations to safely and permanently store CO2.

.las↗
DOE OSTI2020

Carnegie Supernova Project II: The Slowest Rising Type Ia Supernova LSQ14fmg and Clues to the Origin of Super-Chandrasekhar/03fg-like Events

The Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) LSQ14fmg exhibits exaggerated properties that may help to reveal the origin of the "super-Chandrasekhar"(or 03fg-like) group. The optical spectrum is typical of a 03fg-like SN Ia, but the light curves are unlike those of any SNe Ia observed. The light curves of LSQ14fmg rise extremely slowly. At -23 rest-frame days relative to B-band maximum, LSQ14fmg is already brighter than M V = -19 mag before host extinction correction. Here, the observed color curves show a flat evolution from the earliest observation to approximately 1 week after maximum. The near-infrared light curves peak brighter than -20.5 mag in the J and H bands, far more luminous than any 03fg-like SNe Ia with near-infrared observations. At 1 month past maximum, the optical light curves decline rapidly. The early, slow rise and flat color evolution are interpreted to result from an additional excess flux from a power source other than the radioactive decay of the synthesized 56 Ni. The excess flux matches the interaction with a typical superwind of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star in density structure, mass-loss rate, and duration. The rapid decline starting at around 1 month past B-band maximum may be an indication of rapid cooling by active carbon monoxide (CO) formation, which requires a low-temperature and high-density environment. These peculiarities point to an AGB progenitor near the end of its evolution and the core degenerate scenario as the likely explosion mechanism for LSQ14fmg.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1976

The geologic development of Mars - A review

The overall view of Mars has changed from earthlike in the prespacecraft era to moonlike following the flyby missions and finally to a planet with intermediate characteristics. There are many impact craters as on the moon, but tectonic and volcanic features resembling structures on earth are also present. However, there is a lack of evidence for the compressional deformation associated with terrestrial plate tectonics and continental drift. Current analyses indicate that Mars has a differentiated interior with a crust and mantle and perhaps a core. Whenever the nature of interior processes, whether overall mantle expansion, plumes, or full-scale convection, the effects at the surface have been predominantly vertical with formation of broad regions of uplift and depression. One of the results is hemispheric asymmetry with cratered terrain in the south and younger uncratered plains in the north.

Mutch, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Clumpy cold dark matter

A study is conducted of cold dark matter (CDM) models in which clumpiness will inhere, using cosmic strings and textures suited to galaxy formation. CDM clumps of 10 million solar mass/cu pc density are generated at about z(eq) redshift, with a sizable fraction surviving. Observable implications encompass dark matter cores in globular clusters and in galactic nuclei. Results from terrestrial dark matter detection experiments may be affected by clumpiness in the Galactic halo.

Silk, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1993

CO2 lidar observations of Mount Pinatubo debris: FIRE 2 and longer-term measurements

The volcanic debris in the stratosphere from the June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo first appeared over the NOAA Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL) field site near Boulder, Colorado (40.15 N, 105.23 W), in July of 1991. The presence of the Pinatubo cloud has allowed us to characterize both the tropospheric and stratospheric aerosol backscatter using the NOAA/WPL CO2 Doppler lidar. The lidar has measured vertical backscatter profiles at lambda = 10.59 mu m for over a decade. Analysis of this dense set of profiles reveals the effects of atmospheric and microphysical processes during the buildup and decay of Mt. Pinatubo's clouds. Further information on the NOAA lidar, specifically calibrations using a hard target, can be found in Post and Cupp (1990). We present results of those measurements for June 15, 1991, through December 31, 1992. During that period of longer-term measurements, WPL took part in FIRE II (First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment II), from November 12 through December 8, 1991, measuring vertical backscatter profiles almost daily. One of the mechanisms for purging stratospheric aerosols is tropopause folding, which occurs in cold-core extratropical cyclones. Tropospheric mass loading occurs during folding events which can substantially increase the amount of ice nuclei in the upper troposphere, and may affect the formation of cirrus in that region. Spring and fall are prominent times for tropopause folding events because of the migration of the subtropical and polar jet streams during the transition seasons. Sassen has suggested that the volcanic aerosols from Pinatubo played a role in the formation of cirrus during FIRE II, particularly during a period of moist subtropical flow on December 5-6, 1991.

Levinson, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Background and Pickup Ion Velocity Distribution Dynamics in Titan's Plasma Environment: 3D Hybrid Simulation and Comparison with CAPS T9 Observations

In this report we discuss the ion velocity distribution dynamics from the 3D hybrid simulation. In our model the background, pickup, and ionospheric ions are considered as a particles, whereas the electrons are described as a fluid. Inhomogeneous photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. We also take into account the collisions between the ions and neutrals. The current simulation shows that mass loading by pickup ions H(+); H2(+), CH4(+) and N2(+) is stronger than in the previous simulations when O+ ions are introduced into the background plasma. In our hybrid simulations we use Chamberlain profiles for the atmospheric components. We also include a simple ionosphere model with average mass M = 28 amu ions that were generated inside the ionosphere. The moon is considered as a weakly conducting body. Special attention will be paid to comparing the simulated pickup ion velocity distribution with CAPS T9 observations. Our simulation shows an asymmetry of the ion density distribution and the magnetic field, including the formation of the Alfve n wing-like structures. The simulation also shows that the ring-like velocity distribution for pickup ions relaxes to a Maxwellian core and a shell-like halo.

Lipatov, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS2018

High-resolution SOFIA/EXES Spectroscopy of SO2 Gas in the Massive Young Stellar Object MonR2 IRS3: Implications for the Sulfur Budget

Sulfur has been observed to be severely depleted in dense clouds leading to uncertainty in the molecules that contain it and the chemistry behind their evolution. Here, we aim to shed light on the sulfur chemistry in young stellar objects (YSOs) by using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of absorption by the ν3 rovibrational band of SO2 obtained with the Echelon-Cross-Echelle Spectrograph on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. Using local thermodynamic equilibrium models we derive physical parameters for the SO2 gas in the massive YSO MonR2 IRS3. This yields a SO2/H abundance lower limit of 5.6 ± 0.5 × 10(exp -7), or >4% of the cosmic sulfur budget, and an intrinsic line width (Doppler parameter) of b < 3.20 km s(exp -1). The small line widths and high temperature (Tex = 234 ± 15 K) locate the gas in a relatively quiescent region near the YSO, presumably in the hot core where ices have evaporated. This sublimation unlocks a volatile sulfur reservoir (e.g., sulfur allotropes as detected abundantly in comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko), which is followed by SO2 formation by warm, dense gas-phase chemistry. The narrowness of the lines makes formation of SO2 from sulfur sputtered off grains in shocks less likely toward MonR2 IRS3.

Infrared ISM↗
DOE OSTI2024

Once in a blue stream: Detection of recent star formation in the NGC 7241 stellar stream with MEGARA

Aims.In this work we study the striking case of a narrow blue stream with a possible globular cluster-like progenitor around the NGC 7241 galaxy and its foreground dwarf companion. We want to figure out if the stream was generated by tidal interaction with NGC 7241 or if it first interacted with the foreground dwarf companion and later both fell together toward NGC 7241. Methods.We used four sets of observations, including a follow-up spectroscopic study of this stream based on data taken with the MEGARA instrument at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias using the integral field spectroscopy mode, the Mount Lemmon 0.80 m telescope, the Telescopio NazionaleGalileo, the DESI Imaging Legacy surveys, and GALEX archival data. We also used high-resolution zoomed-in cosmological simulations. Results.Our data suggest that the compact object we detected in the stream is a foreground Milky Way halo star. Near this compact object we detect emission lines overlapping a less compact, bluer, and fainter blob of the stream that is clearly visible in both ultraviolet and optical deep images. From its heliocentric systemic radial velocity derived from the [O III]λ5007 Å lines (V syst = 1548.58 ± 1.80 km s −1 ) and new UV and optical broadband photometry, we conclude that this overdensity could be the actual core of the stream, with an absolute magnitude ofM g ∼ −10 and ag − r = 0.08 ± 0.11, consistent with a remnant of a low-mass dwarf satellite undergoing a current episode of star formation. From the width of the stream and assuming a circular orbit, we calculate that the progenitor mass can be typical of a dwarf galaxy, but it could also be substantially lower if the stream is on a very radial orbit or if it was created by tidal interaction with the companion dwarf instead of with NGC 7241. These estimates also suggest that this is one of the lowest mass streams detected to date beyond the Local Group. Finally, we find that blue stellar streams containing star formation regions are commonly predicted by high-resolution cosmological simulations of galaxies lighter than the Milky Way. This scenario is consistent with the processes explaining the bursty star formation history of some dwarf satellites, which are followed by a gas depletion and a fast quenching once they enter within the virial radius of their host galaxies for the first time. Thus, it is likely that the stream’s progenitor is undergoing a star formation burst comparable to those that have shaped the star formation history of several Local Group dwarfs in the last few gigayears.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reactivity of CO 2 with Utica, Marcellus, Barnett, and Eagle Ford Shales and Impact on Permeability

We report that in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while recovering hydrocarbons from unconventional shale formations, processes that make use of carbon dioxide to enhance oil recovery while storing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) should be considered. Here, we examine samples from three shale basins across the United States (Utica and Marcellus Shales in the Appalachian Basin, Barnett Shale in the Bend Arch-Ft. Worth Basin, and Eagle Ford in the Western Gulf Basin) to address the following questions: (1) do changes from reaction with CO 2 and fluids at the micrometer and nanometer scale alter flow pathways and, in turn, impact hydrocarbon production, CO 2 storage, and seal integrity and (2) can CO 2 or fluid reactivity be predicted based on physical or chemical properties of shale formations? Experiments were conducted at 40 °C and 10.3 MPa to characterize the interaction between CO 2 and shale using X-ray diffraction (XRD), carbon and sulfur analysis, in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), feature relocation scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), mercury (Hg) intrusion porosimetry, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore size analysis coupled with density functional theory (DFT) methods. Changes in mechanical, physical, and flow properties of shale cores due to CO 2 exposure were addressed using a New England Research Autolab 1500 and Xenon X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. Results showed that CO 2 did not promote significant reactivity with the shale if water was not present; only shales with swelling clays or residual interstitial pore water reacted with dry CO 2 to promote reactivity in shale. When water was added as a reactant, CO 2 formed carbonic acid and reacted with the shale to dissolve carbonate pockets, etched and pitted the shale matrix surfaces, and increased the microporosity and decreased nanoporosity. Porosity and permeability increased appreciably in core shale samples after exposure to CO 2 saturated fluid due to dissolution of carbonate. Shale mechanical properties were not altered. Trends were not observed that could tie CO 2 or fluid reactivity to physical or chemical properties of the shale formations at the basin scale from the samples we examined. However, if the shale contained significant amounts of carbonate and water was available to react with the CO 2 , pore sizes were altered in the matrix and permeability and porosity increased.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
NASA NTRS1980

A process of stellar nucleosynthesis which mimicks mass fractionation in P-xenon

The combination of the O-shell theory of Heymann and Dziczkaniec and the supernova theory of Woosley and Howard clearly identifies the astrophysical sites for the formation of the anomalous light Xe component in carbonaceous chondrites. These sites are the O- and Ne-shells, and possibly C-shell of a massive star. Most of the Xe-124 and Xe-126 are formed in the O-shell during hydrostatic core silicon-burning, when a seed of heavy nuclei is exposed to an effective temperature near T9 = 2.0. Xe-128 is formed via Ba-128 in the O-shell, but the amounts appear too small to satisfy the deduced Xe-128/Xe-124 and Xe-128/Xe-126 yield ratios from the chondrites. However, substantial amounts of Xe-128 can be formed in the adjacent Ne- and C-shells during the explosion. The formation of Ba-128 in the O-shell would increase if the (gamma, alpha) photodisintegration rate in Ba-128 is actually smaller than calculated by Woosley and Howard. Lewis et al. have proposed that the anomalous light Xe component is mass-fractionated normal Xe. It is in this sense that the process of stellar nucleosynthesis of the present paper mimicks mass-fractionation.

Heymann, D.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Can the Streaming Instability Form the First Planetesimals in Globally Turbulent Protoplanetary Disks?

Understanding the formation of the first planetesimals remains key to deciphering the history of planet formation within our own solar system and beyond. Evidence from the vast meteorite record [e.g., 1] as well as observations [e.g., 2] strongly suggest that the first planetesimals, and perhaps giant planet core accretion occurred well within the first million years of disk evolution. Moreover, chemical and lithological mixing as well as observations of line-broadening in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) [e.g., 3-6] suggest that the solar system nebula in this epoch was weakly-to-moderately turbulent in the regions where particle growth is of the greatest interest [7-8]. It is a well-known though that global hydrodynamic turbulence complicates particle growth due to a slew of barriers that can slow or even stall particle or aggregate growth at pebble sizes (with corresponding small particle Stokes numbers St) that can lead to loss to the central star via radial drift before planetesimals can ever form [9,10], requiring that some other mechanism come into play that collects growth-frustrated pebbles into gravitationally bound multi-km bodies – objects that are “born big” [11]. The current leading candidate for such a “leap-frog” mechanism is the so-called Streaming Instability (SI), a gas-drag mediated momentum exchange resonance in which the relative velocity between the particle component and a rotating gaseous fluid can lead to high densities in the particle field [12], which has been invoked in a number of recent PPD models that include a turbulent intensity α [e.g., 13-14] as the defacto mechanism for planetesimal formation if conditions for the SI (depending on particle St and the solids-to-gas mass ratio) are satisfied. However, these previous works use conditions established from occurrence studies for the onset of SI in laminar disks [15-17] in which the only source of turbulence is that self-generated by the settling particle layer, and not externally driven global turbulence. Recent analytical theories of the SI subject to global turbulence predict much more stringent conditions for the effectiveness of the SI than the laminar case [18-19]. Thus, whether the efficient operation of the SI can be attained in realistic models of the solar nebula have yet to be established. In this work, we ask whether the conditions under which the SI can produce gravitationally bound particle overdensities can actually be met in the first million years of evolution in globally turbulent PPDs.

P R Estrada↗
DOE OSTI2024

Towards chloroplastic nanofactories: formation of proteinaceous scaffolds for metabolic engineering

The evolution of eukaryotic lipid-bound organelles allows for specialized metabolism to occur within spatially distinct metabolic landscapes within the same cell. However, this strategy of compartmentalization is not unique to eukaryotic organisms. Many bacteria, spread across 45 different phyla, contain loci that encode for specialized bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) (Sutter et al., 2021). The formation of a BMC involves self-assembly from three families of shell proteins to form the outer shell membrane, in addition to the encapsulation of an enzymatic core packaged within the lumen of a BMC (Kerfeld et al., 2018). These proteinaceous organelles provide a competitive growth advantage by enabling organisms to process inaccessible substrates by sequestering metabolic intermediates (i.e. aldehydes) that would otherwise be toxic within the cytoplasm. While BMCs perform specific metabolic functions in their native organism, synthetic, empty BMC shells can form without the requirement of native cargo inside (Doron and Kerfeld, 2024). This provides a transferable and tunable platform of protein scaffolding for guiding metabolic engineering within a host organism of choice (Raba and Kerfeld, 2022).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗