Biointerface

A biointerface is the region of contact between a biomolecule, cell, biological tissue or living organism or organic material considered living with another biomaterial or inorganic/organic material. The motivation for biointerface science stems from the urgent need to increase the understanding of interactions between biomolecules and surfaces. The behavior of complex macromolecular systems at materials interfaces are important in the fields of biology, biotechnology, diagnostics, and medicine. Biointerface science is a multidisciplinary field in which biochemists who synthesize novel classes of biomolecules (peptide nucleic acids, peptidomimetics, aptamers, ribozymes, and engineered proteins) cooperate with scientists who have developed the tools to position biomolecules with molecular precision (proximal probe methods, nano-and micro contact methods, e-beam and X-ray lithography, and bottom up self-assembly methods), scientists who have developed new spectroscopic techniques to interrogate these molecules at the solid-liquid interface, and people who integrate these into functional devices (applied physicists, analytical chemists and bioengineers). Well-designed biointerfaces would facilitate desirable interactions by providing optimized surfaces where biological matter can interact with other inorganic or organic materials, such as by promoting cell and tissue adhesion onto a surface. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Neural interfaces Cells in engineered microenvironments and regenerative medicine Computational and modeling approaches to biointerfaces Membranes and membrane-based biosensing Peptides, carbohydrates and DNA at biointerfaces Pathogenesis and pathogen detection Molecularly designed interfaces Nanotube/nanoparticle interfaces Related fields for biointerfaces are biomineralization, biosensors, medical implants, and so forth. Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field that has allowed for the creation of many different possibilities for creating biointerfaces.