Self Assembling Peptide Systems In Biology Medicine And Engineering

One ofthe major drivers in biological research is the establishment ofstructures and functions of the 50,000 or so proteins in our bodies. Each has a characteristic- dimensional structure, highly "ordered" yet "disordered"! This structure is essential for a protein's function and, significantly, it must be sustained in the competitive and complex environment of the living cell. It is now being recognised that when a cell loses control, proteins can se- assemble into more complex supermolecular structures such as the amyloid fibres and plaques associated with the pathogenesis of prion (CJD) or age-related (Alzheimer's) diseases. This is a pointer to the wider significance of the self-assembling properties of polypeptides. It has been long known that, in silk, polypeptides are assembled into- sheet structures which impart on the material its highly exploitable properties of flexibility combined with high tensile strength. But only now emerging is the recognition that peptides can Self-assemble into a wide variety of non-protein-like structures, including fibrils, fibres, tubules, sheets and monolayers. These are exciting observations and, more so, the potential for materials and medical exploitations is so wide ranging that over 80 scientists from Europe, USA, Japan and Israel. met 1-6 July 1999 in Crete, to discuss the wide-ranging implications of these novel developments. There was a spirit of excitement about the workshop indicative of an important new endeavor. The emerging perception is that of a new class of materials set to become commercially viable early in the 21st century.

The book contains six sections. The first section covers general articles; then there is a section concentrating on novel systems and applications. This is followed by one that deals with a range of applications of polymers, surfactants and liquid crystals. This is followed by a section on advances in fundamental understanding. Then there is one on biological systems, and finally there is a section on micelle and vesicle systems, with particular emphasis on dynamic aspects. The contributors, including Physicists, Chemists, Biologists and Chemical Engineers, variously chose to write review-type articles, summaries of their own recent work in the field and its relevance in the general concept of self-assembly, specific short papers related to their particular presentation, or their own thoughts concerning the future development of their particular interest area. All these aspects are addressed in the book. The book covers research at the forefront of the subject, and it is expected to be a very useful addition to the literature in this important field.

Peptide Self-Assembly and Engineering State-of-the-art research in peptide self-assembly, with coverage of fundamental aspects of how peptides self-assemble and an extensive number of applications Peptide Self-Assembly and Engineering: Fundamentals, Structures, and Applications (2V set) covers the latest progresses in the field of peptide self-assembly and engineering, including the fundamental principles of peptide self-assembly, new theory of nucleation and growth, thermodynamics and kinetics, materials design rules, and precisely controlled structures and unique functions. The broad contents from this book enable readers to obtain a systematical and comprehensive knowledge in the field of peptide self-assembly and engineering. Contributed by the leading scientists and edited by a highly qualified academic and an authority in the field, Peptide Self-Assembly and Engineering includes information on: Emerging areas in peptide assembly, such as immune agents, bioelectronics, energy conversion, flexible sensors, biomimetic catalysis, and more Existing applications in biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and photoelectronics, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biosensing devices History of peptide self-assembly for design of functional materials and peptides’ unique mechanical, optical, electronic, and biological properties Various solvent conditions, such as pH, ionic strength, and polarity, that can affect the structure and stability of peptide assemblies A very comprehensive reference covering the latest progresses in the field of peptide self-assembly and engineering, Peptide Self-Assembly and Engineering is an essential resource for all scientists performing research intersecting with the subject, including biochemists, biotechnologists, pharmaceutical chemists, protein chemists, materials scientists, and medicinal chemists.

Solid-binding peptides have been used increasingly as molecular building blocks in nanobiotechnology as they can direct the assembly and functionalisation of a diverse range of materials and have the ability to regulate the synthesis of nanoparticles and complex nanostructures. Nanostructured materials such as β-sheet fibril-forming peptides and α-helical coiled coil systems have displayed many useful properties including stimulus-responsiveness, modularity and multi-functionality, providing potential technological applications in tissue engineering, antimicrobials, drug delivery and nanoscale electronics. The current situation with respect to self-assembling peptides and bioactive matrices for regenerative medicine are reviewed, as well as peptide-target modeling and an examination of future prospects for peptides in these areas.

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.

These contribution books collect reviews and original articles from eminent experts working in the interdisciplinary arena of biomaterial development and use. From their direct and recent experience, the readers can achieve a wide vision on the new and ongoing potentials of different synthetic and engineered biomaterials. Contributions were not selected based on a direct market or clinical interest, than on results coming from very fundamental studies which have been mainly gathered for this book. This fact will also allow to gain a more general view of what and how the various biomaterials can do and work for, along with the methodologies necessary to design, develop and characterize them, without the restrictions necessarily imposed by industrial or profit concerns. The book collects 22 chapters related to recent researches on new materials, particularly dealing with their potential and different applications in biomedicine and clinics: from tissue engineering to polymeric scaffolds, from bone mimetic products to prostheses, up to strategies to manage their interaction with living cells.

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 de

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

Design, Principle and Application of Self-Assembled Nanobiomaterials in Biology and Medicine discusses recent advances in science and technology using nanoscale units that show the novel concept of combining nanotechnology with various research disciplines within both the biomedical and medicine fields. Self-assembly of molecules, macromolecules, and polymers is a fascinating strategy for the construction of various desired nanofabrication in chemistry, biology, and medicine for advanced applications. It has a number of advantages: (1) It is involving atomic-level modification of molecular structure using bond formation advanced techniques of synthetic chemistry. (2) It draws from the enormous wealth of examples in biology for the development of complex, functional structures. (3) It can incorporate biological structures directly as components in the final systems. (4) It requires that the target self-assembled structures be thermodynamically most stable with relatively defect-free and self-healing. In this book, we cover the various emerging self-assembled nanostructured objects including molecular machines, nano-cars molecular rotors, nanoparticles, nanosheets, nanotubes, nanowires, nano-flakes, nano-cubes, nano-disks, nanorings, DNA origami, transmembrane channels, and vesicles. These self-assembled materials are used for sensing, drug delivery, molecular recognition, tissue engineering energy generation, and molecular tuning. Provides a basic understanding of how to design, and implement various self-assembled nanobiomaterials Covers principles implemented in the constructions of novel nanostructured materials Offers many applications of self-assemblies in fluorescent biological labels, drug and gene delivery, bio-detection of pathogens, detection of proteins, probing of DNA structure, tissue engineering, and many more