Nanobiomaterials

Book excerpt: There is a continuous exchange of ideas taking place at the border of the biological and physical sciences in many areas of nanoscience. Nanotechnology uses biomimetic or bio-inspired processes to produce nanosized materials for applications in biology and other fields. In return, the fruits of nanotechnology are applied to expanding areas of biomedical and therapeutic processes, such as new nanostructures and scaffolds for tissue engineering or targeted drug delivery. In this way, nanobiotechnology serves as a bridge between nano and bio, with nanoscale materials providing the building blocks for the construction of the "bridge." Nanobiomaterials: Development and Applications gives you a broad, interdisciplinary view of current developments as well as new findings and applications in bionanomaterials. The book brings together the work of international contributors who are actively engaged at the forefront of research in their respective disciplines. Organized into four parts, this book explores the preparation and characterization of nanomaterials, new preparation routes of soft nanomaterials using biomolecules, nano- and microscale hybridization of materials, and nanotoxicity. The contributors cover a diverse set of topics, including: Biomimetic synthesis Bioimaging and cancer diagnosis Photodynamic therapy Bioconjugated carbon nanotube DNA transfection and tumor targeting Magnetically induced hyperthermia Cytotoxity mechanisms and their potential use in therapy Virus-enabled manufacturing of functional nanomaterials Biocatalitic nanosystems and enzyme immobilization Tissue engineering The fabrication of hybrid microswimmers Bionanomaterial applications in environmental remediation Each chapter is richly illustrated and includes an extensive list of references to guide you toward further research. Combining bionanomaterial development and applications, the book clearly demonstrates the importance of these materials to biotechnology, biomedicine, and environmental remediation. It offers an accessible overview for students, industrial researchers, pharmaceutical innovators, medical and public health personnel, environmental scientists and engineers, and anyone interested in this interdisciplinary field.