Self Assembling Biomaterials

Self-assembling biomaterials: molecular design, characterization and application in biology and medicine provides a comprehensive coverage on an emerging area of biomaterials science, spanning from conceptual designs to advanced characterization tools and applications of self-assembling biomaterials, and compiling the recent developments in the field. Molecular self-assembly, the autonomous organization of molecules, is ubiquitous in living organisms and intrinsic to biological structures and function. Not surprisingly, the exciting field of engineering artificial self-assembling biomaterials often finds inspiration in Biology. More important, materials that self-assemble speak the language of life and can be designed to seamlessly integrate with the biological environment, offering unique engineering opportunities in bionanotechnology. The book is divided in five parts, comprising design of molecular building blocks for self-assembly; exclusive features of self-assembling biomaterials; specific methods and techniques to predict, investigate and characterize self-assembly and formed assemblies; different approaches for controlling self-assembly across multiple length scales and the nano/micro/macroscopic properties of biomaterials; diverse range of applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery, theranostics, cell culture and tissue regeneration. Written by researchers working in self-assembling biomaterials, it addresses a specific need within the Biomaterials scientific community. Explores both theoretical and practical aspects of self-assembly in biomaterials Includes a dedicated section on characterization techniques, specific for self-assembling biomaterials Examines the use of dynamic self-assembling biomaterials

Fabrication and Self-Assembly of Nanobiomaterials presents the most recent findings regarding the fabrication and self-assembly of nanomaterials for different biomedical applications. Respected authors from around the world offer a comprehensive look at how nanobiomaterials are made, enabling knowledge from current research to be used in an applied setting. Recent applications of nanotechnology in the biomedical field have developed in response to an increased demand for innovative approaches to diagnosis, exploratory procedures and therapy. The book provides the reader with a strong grounding in emerging biomedical nanofabrication technologies, covering numerous fabrication routes for specific applications are described in detail and discussing synthesis, characterization and current or potential future use. This book will be of interest to professors, postdoctoral researchers and students engaged in the fields of materials science, biotechnology and applied chemistry. It will also be highly valuable to those working in industry, including pharmaceutics and biotechnology companies, medical researchers, biomedical engineers and advanced clinicians. An up-to-date and highly structured reference source for practitioners, researchers and students working in biomedical, biotechnological and engineering fields A valuable guide to recent scientific progress, covering major and emerging applications of nanomaterials in the biomedical field Proposes novel opportunities and ideas for developing or improving technologies in fabrication and self-assembly

Self-assembling biomaterials: molecular design, characterization and application in biology and medicine provides a comprehensive coverage on an emerging area of biomaterials science, spanning from conceptual designs to advanced characterization tools and applications of self-assembling biomaterials, and compiling the recent developments in the field. Molecular self-assembly, the autonomous organization of molecules, is ubiquitous in living organisms and intrinsic to biological structures and function. Not surprisingly, the exciting field of engineering artificial self-assembling biomaterials often finds inspiration in Biology. More important, materials that self-assemble speak the language of life and can be designed to seamlessly integrate with the biological environment, offering unique engineering opportunities in bionanotechnology. The book is divided in five parts, comprising design of molecular building blocks for self-assembly; exclusive features of self-assembling biomaterials; specific methods and techniques to predict, investigate and characterize self-assembly and formed assemblies; different approaches for controlling self-assembly across multiple length scales and the nano/micro/macroscopic properties of biomaterials; diverse range of applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery, theranostics, cell culture and tissue regeneration. Written by researchers working in self-assembling biomaterials, it addresses a specific need within the Biomaterials scientific community.

Hydrogels represent one of the cornerstones in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, due to their biocompatibility and physiologically relevant properties. These inherent characteristics mean that they can be widely exploited as bioinks in 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering applications as well as injectable gels for cell therapy and drug delivery purposes. The research in these fields is booming and this book provides the reader with a terrific introduction to the burgeoning field of injectable hydrogel design, bioprinting and tissue engineering. Edited by three leaders in the field, users of this book will learn about different classes of hydrogels, properties and synthesis strategies to produce bioinks. A section devoted to the key processing and design challenges at the hydrogel/3D bioprinting/tissue interface is also covered. The final section of the book closes with pertinent clinical applications. Tightly edited, the reader will find this book to be a coherent resource to learn from. It will appeal to those working across biomaterials science, chemical and biomedical engineering, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The self-organization of bionanostructures into well-defined functional machineries found in nature has been a priceless source of ideas for researchers. The molecules of life, proteins, DNA, RNA, etc., as well as the structures and forms that these molecules assume serve as rich sources of ideas for scientists or engineers who are interested in developing bio-inspired materials for innovations in biomedical fields. In nature, molecular self-assembly is a process by which complex three-dimensional structures with well-defined functions are constructed, starting from simple building blocks such as proteins and peptides. This book introduces readers to the theory and mechanisms of peptide self-assembly processes. The authors present the more common peptide self-assembled building blocks and discuss how researchers from different fields can apply self-assembling principles to bionanotechnology applications. The advantages and challenges are mentioned together with examples that reflect the state of the art of the use of self-assembled peptide building blocks in nanotechnology.

Peptides and Proteins as Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration and Repair highlights the various important considerations that go into biomaterial development, both in terms of fundamentals and applications. After covering a general introduction to protein and cell interactions with biomaterials, the book discusses proteins in biomaterials that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). The properties, fabrication and application of peptide biomaterials and protein-based biomaterials are discussed in addition to in vivo and in vitro studies. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and advanced students interested in biomaterials science, chemistry, molecular biology and nanotechnology. Presents an all-inclusive and authoritative coverage of the important role which protein and peptides play as biomaterials for tissue regeneration Explores protein and peptides from the fundamentals, to processing and applications Written by an international group of leading biomaterials researchers

Research and new tools in biomaterials development by using peptides are currently growing, as more functional and versatile building blocks are used to design a host of functional biomaterials via chemical modifications for health care applications. It is a field that is attracting researchers from across soft matter science, molecular engineering and biomaterials science. Covering the fundamental concepts of self-assembly, design and synthesis of peptides, this book will provide a solid introduction to the field for those interested in developing functional biomaterials by using peptide derivatives. The bioactive nature of the peptides and their physical properties are discussed in various applications in biomedicine. This book will help researchers and students working in biomaterials and biomedicine fields and help their understanding of modulating biological processes for disease diagnosis and treatments.

Our broad long-term objective is to create novel biomaterials that advance the technical capabilities of the U.S. Army. In the short term, we seek to design self-assembling biomaterials that are adaptable in their structure and function. To do so, we must understand the molecular physicochemical aspects of biomaterials design, and we use three different systems to study this issue: 1) intermediate filaments, a class of protein with a broad range of structural roles from the nanometer to macroscale, as a model system; (2) self-assembled virus-based nanostructures, and (3) adiponectin, an adipocyteproduced hormone that serves as a soluble model system of higher order collagen. Such proteins may be harnessed for military purposes (eg. protective self-healing materials or nanoscale scaffolds) if one had a better understanding of how molecular structure determines material properties. In this final progress report, we summarize our studies on these systems.