A phage display method has been used for the first time to identify peptides that bind to, and induce the rapid formation of, a pure crystalline binary metal oxide compound, CaMoO4, at room temperature from a soluble aqueous precursor solution (see figure). This demonstration opens the door to the biosculpting (peptide patterning, then localized peptide-induced mineralization) of functional synthetic crystalline multicomponent compounds onto or with low-temperature or chemically dissimilar materials.