Self-assembling Biomaterials

Part 1 - Molecular building blocks for self-assembly of biomaterials
1. Nucleic acids
2. Peptides
3. Proteins
4. Saccharides
5. Synthetic polymers
6. Lipids
7. Hybrids
8. Synthetic supramolecular systems
9. Host-guest interactions

Part 2 - Mechanisms of self-assembly: controlling driving forces and boundaries for self-assembly across scales
10. Discrete (soluble/particulate) vs continuous (bulk materials/ hydrogels)
11. Shear/field-induced self-assembly
12. Self-assembly in confined environments
13. Interfacial self-assembly
14. Bulk/solution
15. Orthogonal self-assembly

Part 3 - Unique properties of self-assembling biomaterials: blurring the frontiers between biomaterials and biology
16. Nanostructuring
17. Reversibility
18. Easy incorporation of chemical functionality with great spatial control
19. Adaptability
20. Dynamic/Dissipative self-assembly (out of equilibrium) applications

Part 4 - Nanoscale characterization of self-assembling biomaterials
21. Nanoscale Imaging
22. Nanoscale structural organization
23. Molecular simulations

Part 5 - Applications of self-assembling biomaterials
24. Cell-nanobiomaterials interactions
25. 3D cell culture
26. Regenerative medicine
27. Drug delivery
28. Diagnosis and biosensing
29. Surface modification of implants

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

Materials scientists, biomedical engineers, chemists working in the field of soft-matter, biomaterials and stem cells for tissue engineering