Ever wondered why shells look as good as they do? Well University of Queensland researcher Dr Daniel Jackson may have found the answer.

In a collaboration between UQ's School of Integrative Biology and the University of Göttingen in Germany, Dr Jackson has discovered a gene found in the tropical abalone that controls the striking blue and red colours found in the mollusc's shell.

“This is the first gene shown to play a role in molluscan shell patterning,” Dr Jackson said.

“It was a chance discovery that arose from a project where genes from specific tissues are randomly sequenced, so it was quite fortuitous.

“This gene is also distantly related to a gene family found in vertebrates, of which humans are a member, so it provides insight into how the evolutionary process can create new roles for old genes.”

He made the discovery while working on the genetics of how shells are made in abalone, something he describes as an amazing process.

“We estimate that more than 25 percent of the genes expressed in the shell secreting tissue of the abalone are involved in shell formation,” he said.

“Most mollusc shells are basically made of chalk (calcium carbonate) with a little protein thrown in making them incredibly strong."

“No man-made calcium carbonate based material can come close to this, so to be able to replicate this would have wide applications in materials, medical and dental science.”

Dr Jackson was recently honoured at the BioMed Open Access Research awards in London for his PhD and postdoctoral work in this area.

Dr Jackson is a member of Professor Bernie Degnan's lab, which focuses on the evolutionary developmental biology as well as the marine and aquaculture biotechnology of marine invertebrates such as abalone, sponges, scallops and crustaceans.