Book Description

The special interest afforded biological and bioinspired materials and devices lies in the fact that many biological materials, as diverse as bone and teeth and spider silk, have highly refined and sophisticated platforms of structure that are well organized at hierarchical levels spanning nanoscale to microscale measures. There is absolutely strict and precise control of materials synthesis exerted by these natural systems, and vigorous study and advancement in the fields of biomineralization, molecular biology, and DNA technology, for instance, have brought increasing understanding of such control in ever expanding fashion. This knowledge has been quickly transferred into the design and development of synthetic materials that mimic their biological counterparts. In this context, an explosion in research in the past few years has centered on the identification and synthesis of 1) unique ceramics or composites for biomaterials, magnetic and optical use, 2) self-assembled biopolymeric systems for biomaterials and biosensor application, and 3) colloidal and amphiphilic systems for relevance in biomedicine, nanotechnology, and biosensor fabrication. Therefore, new nanocrystalline composites, nanofibers, biosteel fibers, novel biosensors, distinctive drug-delivery systems, exceptional tissue engineering scaffolds, exclusive molecular imprinting matrices, and innovative photonic crystals are suddenly available. Given this backdrop, the papers in this volume involve biology, medicine, engineering, physics, chemistry, and materials science. Topics include biomineralization and the structure and mechanical, magnetic, and optical properties of biominerals; implant materials for dental, maxillofacial, orthopaedic, urological, and ophthalmic applications; tissue adhesives and cements; material degradation and implant failure; organic modification of surfaces and their biocompatibility; tissue engineering with cells and scaffolding to generate extracellular matrices for tissue regeneration; emerging technologies in tissue engineering, including application of stem cells and gene therapy; in situ and ex situ characterization techniques and imaging of biomaterials; pharmaceutical crystallization and materials for drug and gene delivery; supramolecular and biological self assembly; and structure and dynamics of organic/inorganic interfaces.