Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2006 Symposium (2007)
Chapter: THE NANO/BIO INTERFACE, Introduction
Introduction
TEJAL DESAI
University of California, San Francisco
HIROSHI MATSUI
City University of New York, Hunter College
The performance of natural systems in various aspects of engineering is often superior to the performance of man-made technologies. Hence, biomimetics in nanoscale are being actively investigated to solve a variety of engineering problems. Biology can provide tools for controlling material synthesis, physical properties, sensing, and mechanical properties at the molecular level. Harnessing biomolecular processes, such as self-assembly, catalytic activity, and molecular recognition, can greatly enhance purely synthetic systems. Therefore, the integration of these fields is a natural evolution in engineering.
The speakers in this session update progress in this field, focusing on the interface between biotechnology and nanotechnology. The first two speakers will present approaches to using biotechnology to solve nanotechnology problems. The third and fourth speakers will describe approaches to using nanotechnology to solve biotechnology problems.
