Functional biomaterials requirements

The inclusion of cells into functional biomaterial scaffolds carries several critical requirements. During and after the macroencapsulation process, cells must remain viable and physiologically functional. It is desirable to encapsulate as many cells as possible and... 

Decolorization of azo dyes by WRF technology improvements will require integration of all major areas of industrial biotechnology novel enzymes and microorganisms, functional genomics, protein engineering, biomaterial development, bioprocess design and applications. 

Magnetic biomaterials have different constraints than materials used for other applications. In vivo (in the body) applications require strict biocompatibility. In vitro (outside of the body) applications have less strict requirements, but techniques involving living cells still must consider the effect of the materials on the sample under study. In addition to biocompatibility, materials must be capable of being functionalized with one or more molecules, must retain their magnetic properties for a reasonable period of time in aqueous media with varying pH, must not be cleared too quickly from the bloodstream, and must form stable, non-aggregating dispersions [12, 13]. 

The surface is a crucially important factor of biomaterial, and without an appropriate biocompatibility the biomaterial could not function. On the other hand, the bulk properties of materials are equally important in the use of biomaterials. An opaque material cannot be used in vision correction, and soft flexible materials cannot be used in bone reinforcement. The probability of finding a material that fulfills all requirements in physical and chemical bulk properties for a biomaterial application and whose surface properties are just right for a specific application is very close to zero, if not absolutely zero. From this point of view, all biomaterials should be surface treated to cope with the biocompatibility. However, if the surface treatment alters the bulk properties, it defeats the purpose. In this sense, tunable LCVD nanofilm coating that causes the minimal effect on the bulk material is the best tool available in the domain of biomaterials. 

It is beyond the scope of this book to go into further details of comparing structural organization in synthetic and biological macromolecules. We cannot resist noting however, that one may consider as the ultimate goal of polymer materials chemistry to synthesize exact and accurate structures of the appropriate monomers in well-defined systems to achieve required functions. Differences in properties and function between man-made polymer parts and biomaterials made up of natural biomacromolecules may well be related to differences in their primary structure and architectural control. Proteins and nucleic acids are precisely defined in their... 

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